


Playthings

by Red_Shadow_Wolf_19



Category: Law & Order, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Mob, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, F/F, Forced Prostitution, Gen, Good Hela, Kidnapping, Law Enforcement, M/M, Mutilation, Odin (Marvel)'s A+ Parenting, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Rape/Non-con Elements, Self-Harm, Step-Sibling Incest, Stockholm Syndrome, Suicide Attempt, Threats of Violence, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:26:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 23
Words: 41,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27129883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Shadow_Wolf_19/pseuds/Red_Shadow_Wolf_19
Summary: **Originally Published on Tumblr on GrandthorkidayLoki and Thor have been held prisoner by the Grandmaster, the major mobster of New York for ten years.  One day, after nearly giving hope on rescuing the brothers, Detective Valkyrie and her partner Bruce get a break in the case: Loki in the ER and 'willing' to give over evidence.  Trying to keep the scared young man safe, fending off the red tape of the legal system, and dealing with past family drama, they do their best to bring justice.
Relationships: Brunnhilde | Valkyrie/Carol Danvers, En Dwi Gast | Grandmaster/Loki, En Dwi Gast | Grandmaster/Loki/Thor, En Dwi Gast | Grandmaster/Thor, Loki/Thor (Marvel), Loki/Thor/Original Character(s) (Marvel)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Loxxlay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loxxlay/gifts).



> I originally wrote this in 2019, on my phone while I was working at gas station. I would type it up while pretending to take stock of the store and send it to Loxxlay when I had a break. I literally found their tumblr blog for the Grandthorki ship and I fell in love. As you can tell. This was my introduction to her, my send up to my love of Law and Order (every single version), and my love for mob movies.

The first time Valkyrie Brunnhilde met Loki, he was nineteen. She was a beat cop back then, barely out of the academy. He had turned up at hospital on her  
shift badly beated and coming down from being high. At that time, no one had reported or knew about what happened a year previously. When she had gone to get his statement, she had quickly learned. Or least learned what Loki had felt divulging.

"My brother and I, we've been kidnapped."

"By who?"

He had shaken his head nervously. "You won't believe me. You could be working for him. I shouldn't have said anything. I-I just want to go home. Will you let me go home?"

"You said you were kidnapped. We're not going to pump the breaks on something like that. Either you lied, which means I can arrest you for filing a false police report, or you tell me." Looking back she knew she had been harsh with him. She was new, and hadn't learned how to speak to victims.

Loki did however did tell her.

"The Grandmaster."

"En Dwi Gast? The mob boss?"

"I knew you wouldn't believe me." He had sneered at her and nearly walked out of the hospital right then and there.

To this day, Val would never know how she had gotten him to stay. Possibly it was because the doctor refused to discharge Loki until he had spent a night for observation. Maybe it was because Loki knew this was his best shot at freedom. Whatever it was, she had gotten a small quick summary of the last year for the kid: he and his brother had been kidnapped from a bar while out celebrating. They had been kept in the basement of one of the eccentric mobster's many homes for six months before being moved to one of his full floor penthouses.

"He leaves us with some of his men sometimes to be punished. He says he doesn't like to see us hurt. I...I refused to...to give him head."

"He's raping you?"

"Both of us. Thor is still there. He left with him. To some other place. He separates us sometimes. When one of us is...when one of us doesn't do as he says. You need to get Thor! Please! He's my older brother and he's always looked out for me! I'm adopted and..."

He had looked away at that. "Please help."

"I will, you have my word."

She had given him her information, promising to return with detectives and the full weight of the NYPD. When she did return the next morning with two detectives from SVU and one from Major Crimes, she found him gone. The doctor explained that Loki's brother and 'a family friend' had come early in the morning and picked him up. He had gone willingly. Security video showed the 'family friend' to be a lieutenant of the Sakaar mob family.

"You'll see him again," the Major Crimes detective had assured her. "Or what's left of him once they melt him down."

That turned out not to be the case. For the next four years, Loki and Thor were frequent flyers in several ERs around the city. A few times Loki even requested her, and she would rush to see him. Half the time she barely caught sight of him as another 'family friend' escorted him out. The other half, when she did see him, he was increasingly not willing to follow up on his first claim of being kidnapped.

"If I say anything, Thor could get hurt! Or worse! It happened the first time. He was so mad. He made Thor sleep in the basement after....," he fiddled with the hospital gown. "Can you tell our parents...that we love them? And our sister. We're okay, honest."

"Loki," Val had said gently, "you have a broken arm and bruises from head to toe and your came in here so fucking high you were nearly overdosing. You're not okay."

"Please."

After that, Val switched tactics. Mostly because she had been promoted from beat cop to Narcotics, but also a feeling she needed to do something more. She leaked several of her interviews and notes about Loki and Thor to the press. After all, she reasoned, En Dwi Gast was a provocateur and press junkie. Exposed in such a way by the very journalists, pundits, and hosts whose attention he sought may make him slip up and lead to Loki and Thor being free.

That was not the case.

First, Loki was picked in a raid on a drug den owned by the Sakaar mob. He was overdosing and had to get his stomach pumped. On him, he still carried her card, so she was called on the assumption this was one of her informers.

It was at this point she met Thor for the first time. He had come to the hospital alone. It was hard to believe the tall muscular man was a prisoner. That was until he spoke. There was a hollowness in the eyes she was beginning to recognize from abuse victims and a stuttering in the voice at times. He seemed unable to truly stare at her directly, speaking to a tile right behind her head. When he spoke to Loki it was heartbreaking.

"I could have lost you. I'd be alone...with Him."

"I didn't mean...I just wanted to forget for a little while."

"Not like that. Never like that. Promise me, you will throw everything away."

"I-"

"For me?"

Neither wanted to speak about Grandmaster.

"He's....we're his companions." Thor told the bedside cabinet.

They left the hospital in a cab they hired, their destination was the Gladiator Hotel.

After that, they were seen often. By everyone in New York. They were beside the Grandmaster as he opened up a new wrestling stadium. They joined him on calls to the most popular radio call and morning talk shows in town. They were with him at art galleries, opera houses, and sporting events. They smiled and cuddled close as cameras flashed. They flirtatiously bantered.

"So Loki about those articles-"

"Oh God!"

"Claiming you were kidnapped-"

"Oh I remember this now-"

"Lies and lies! Utter shi-"

"Uh Lo Lo there's kids listening. It's a family show!"

"We were talking about morning sex like two minutes ago. No, but to answer your question, I honestly don't know where people get this nonsense!"

"Like my supposed ties to the Russian mob, like honestly!"

"Apparently you've been in the hospital-"

"I'm a recovering addict! What I did is in the past!"

That exchange happened the day she was transferred to Major Crimes. Val remembered listening to it with a few other detectives, feeling sick in her stomach.

It would be a year into her transfer that she finally told her new partner about her history with the 'Grandmaster's boys".

"Fuck. I mean, y'know you did everything you could right, " Bruce Banner said from over his plate.

"Apart from killing the bastard."

"Gast has been doing all sort of shit for twenty five years. I bet these two aren't his first...boys."

"Has he kept them this long before though?"

"I honestly don't know. You said their Odin Valhalla's kids, right? Maybe, he's using them to get to the Dad?"

"I honestly think in some twisted fucked up way he thinks he loves them. Like a kid loves his toys..."

Three more years passed. Val kept most articles about Loki and Thor, any that had even a shred of ambiguity. She tried to get in contact with Odin, the famous attorney. At first, he politely refused to speak about 'private family matters'. After his wife died, however, he threatened to have her charged with harassment.

It was freezing day in January. The sun barely warmed anyone as it shone down. Val had stopped at Starbucks and had picked her usual latte and Bruce's tea. She had barely sat down the tray and asked about the daily reports when her desk phone rang.

"Is this Officer Valkyrie Brunnhilde?"

"Detective, but yes."

"This is Dr Jane Foster...do you know a Loki Valhalla?"

She nearly dropped the phone. "Yes."

"He's here an-"

"How long has he been there?"

"Three days."

"Is he....dead?"

"Oh no! He's um...he's in recovery. He was dropped in front of the ER. He was barely conscious and severely injured. We feared we could have lost time for a while. When he woke up, he asked for you. Are you his next of kin?"

"Right now, yes. Give the address." She made motions to Bruce to hand over a pad of paper and pen. She wrote it down hastily. "You wanna go take down Sakaar?"

"I don't even get to enjoy my tea?"

"I'll drive. Call this number. It's to Hela Valhalla. Tell her she needs to call meet me tonight. Usual place."

"Now I'm a secretary!" But he was smiling. "What do we got?"

"We got Loki. He's been in the hospital for two days. No lawyers, no thugs, no Gast."

"No Thor?"

"Nope. We have to go. Now."

They got to the hospital as fast as traffic would allow. Val didn't want to draw attention, knowing Grandmaster had spies everywhere including the police department. She had sent a cryptic message to her Captain, but other than that she tried to make things look as casual as possible. Bruce kept clenching and unclenching his jaw, a habit he had developed when he was trying to keep calm.

Dr. Foster met them in the lobby, nervously pacing. She shook their hands eagerly and motioned for them to follow.

"I think I messed up. I told him that I called you."

"I thought he asked for me?"

"He did, but I guess he changed his mind. He got so agitated. He tried to rip out his IV and he started screaming at my nurse. He was going to be discharged tomorrow, but now I'm thinking about calling psych."

"Do it, and ask for Stephen Strange. Tell him it's for Val."

They arrived at the hospital room several minutes later. Even from the hallway, one could here cursing and near sobbing as Loki screamed to be let go. Nine years ago, he had been a nervous kid who had politely spoken to his doctors and nurses as they tended him. Now, he screeched obscenities at everyone, violently jerking his entire body against the restraints he had been put into. His face was still littered with bruises and he had a cut on his lip he periodically worried with his tongue. His hair had grown and needed to be washed; it was starting to get a greasy sheen.

He glared at Foster as she moved to check his chart. "Fucking bitch. Let me go. I want to leave. You can't keep me here."

"It's medically advisable for you to stay one more night." She responded professionally. "You were very dehydrated when you came in here."

"I'll just drink more water," he sneered at her. He tried once again to pull at his wrist restraints but nothing happened.

"Hey, Loki." Val stepped forward.

Loki looked at her for only momentarily before turning his head away. "Go away." His voice was flat. He struggled with his arm restraints again, but not as hard he previously had.

"After I came all this way?" She made her voice sound teasing. "Traffic was a bitch to get over here. And you did ask for me."

"Probably was drugged," he grumbled. He shot Foster a glare. "She probably drugged me. Can I charge her with something?"

"We can discuss that later. How about we catch up first?"

"I want these things off of me."

"We can see about that. Dr. Foster, can we get the chest restraint removed at least for now. May help calm him down."

The doctor seemed unsure if that was wise, but she did it without complaint. Loki kept sending her daggers as she bent over him and undid the strap that went over his chest.

"We got it from here. Can we have the room?"

"I'm going to be right down the hall."

Once she had left, Val moved one of the chairs in the room close to Loki's left side. She waved Bruce into another close by, but not as close. The movement of the other man in the room was the first time the younger man had seen the former. He reared back like a cat, still locked into place.

"Hey, hey, relax. That's just my new partner. Bruce Banner, this is Loki Valhalla."

"Hey there, Loki!" Bruce said cheerfully enough.

Loki simply stared at him in suspicion.

"It's been a few years, hasn't it?"

No reply.

"Saw that you went to that playoff game. The one with Drax. Got pretty close to the action."

Still no reply.

"You've lost some weight since then."

"Diet." Well, at least he said something.

"Really didn't need it, did you?"

He shrugged, his gaze drifting to a ceiling tile.

"I almost went to your Mom's funeral."

That did something. Loki jerked as though he had been struck. He bit his lips as though he was concentrating extremely hard on a task.

"It was open to the public, and your sister invited me anyway. I didn't go, though. Didn't feel right, y'know? Showing up. Hardly knew her really." She felt a tad guilty going down this road, but she knew she had so few options left to her. There was a large probability  
that at any moment that a knock could be at the door and a Sakaar lawyer would be there to whisk him away. She could get lucky and it could be Thor. Thor could  
possibly be persuaded into letting Loki stay longer in the hospital. At least twenty four hours. And a lot could happen in twenty four hours.

"I...I went to the funeral." The words were spoken softly. Loki still refused to look at her, but his eyes didn't seem present at all. "We both did. It was a lovely service. And they picked a wonderful spot for her to be buried."

"I've been there. My wife's mother is buried there. It's very lovely."

"She has a spot over looking the pond. She would like that."

There was lull in the conversation, and Loki turned his face away from her. Val knew without seeing it that he was trying to hide the pain he felt. She glanced at Bruce who was just as deeply moved as she was. But he nodded all the same; they needed to make him talk.

"Y'know after I first met you, I contacted your Mother. She had been searching for you and Thor for a year and she was overjoyed to even hear you were alive."

The younger man shook his head weakly.

"I used to call her every time I saw you after that. Just to reassure her. You remember when you asked me to tell her you were okay? I told her how you were alive and trying to look out for your brother. Y'know what she said to that? She said, 'That's my Loki.'"

"Please," his voice sounded near breaking.

"You told me you needed my help all those years ago. I wanted to help you. I still want to help you. I want to help Thor."

He took in a shaky breath that ended in a sob.

"Loki. Is Thor hurt too?"

"N-no."

"Are you sure? It's been two days. He hasn't come to get you."

"He's in Atlantic City. All week. Big cage match." Loki had regained some composure only to have it dashed away as he added, "I was supposed to go with him. But..." He shook his head and turned it slightly back to her, his face screwed up. "You're going to get me in trouble."

"No. I'm going to get you home."

~~~~~

Hela Valhalla was one of the most beautiful accomplished women that Val had ever met. She had joined the Bar very young, became a successful prosecutor, before being almost immediately snatched up by the State Attorney. All this would make any other parent proud, but had made her father sour and virtually disown her.

"I'm not supposed to outshine him. Or Thor. He has a 'legacy' to keep," the woman had said their first meeting.

The thirty five year old woman met the detective in the lobby of one of the last hotels in the city not owned or operated by En Dwi Gast. They made their way into the bar arm in arm and picked a secluded table in the back. To outside observers and any Sakaar spies, it would look like an affair, the way Hela's hand traced Val's and the flirtatious smile she received in return. But it was anything but that.

"How does he look?"

"Scared. Thin. Bruises everywhere. Still won't talk. I think he's waiting to see what will happen tomorrow when he is discharged."

"Have you seen Thor?"

"Apparently he was taken to Atlantic City with Gast. I think this is our best opportunity. I'm going to have him be committed tomorrow."

The playful mask Hela had slipped slightly. "Commit him?! He's not-"

"He's suffering, Hela. It's been ten years. He's not going to say everything to me or you. He needs help. And we have one of the best psychiatrists in the city ready to help him. Go tomorrow and be there with him. He'll probably say fucked up shit, but he's not doing it intentionally. He's trying to get you to leave to protect himself and you. You need to reassure him. Maybe your Dad-"

Hela laughed. "Daddy won't come! Not yet at least. He actually takes all those public appearances that bastard makes them do at face value. There was one time they were on that stupid radio show, the one they film and put online, and Gast made them  
describe their favorite part of fellatiating him. Loki spoke first and Daddy took it as proof. Proof that they both failed him. I keep sending articles on rape survivors, but he ignores me."

"Then it has to be you. You have to be there for him."

"He's going to be so worried about Thor. They were inseparable as kids. They always looked for one another. It's why Loki went to NYU. To be with Thor. He got accepted to nearly every college he applied, but he wanted to be with Thor. And Thor wanted him  
there too. To look out for him."

Val took Hela's hand into both of hers. "This is the best way to get both of them back. You just have to trust me."


	2. Chapter 2

Luck was smiling down on Val and Bruce.

No one came to take Loki in the middle of the night or the next morning. Loki even agreed at first to be released into Stephen Strange's custody. Hela's presence may have helped with that. Foster claimed as soon as the younger man saw his older sister he had immediately become more willing to cooperate with the doctors and nurses. He didn't seem fazed when they told him he was being transferred to Strange's private facility. He was more concerned that he had only one set of clothes and no cell phone.

He had made the trip out of the city well enough too. He drove in Hela's car with Strange in the backseat. Neither sibling really spoke to one another. Hela mostly rehearsed what she was going to do next: go and get clothes for Loki, go tell their Father he was safe, and then see about getting a phone. Loki simply made remarks about things he saw out the window: he'd eaten at that restaurant, stayed at that hotel, remembered that bodega. Strange in the back tried to merge their conversations, but the younger man didn't take the bait.

The first hour at the facility too went remarkably well. Strange had just bought the mansion outside the city and converted it to a rehabilitation center and had yet to really attract clients outside of a few through the police department and local DAs. As of right now, Loki was his only live-in patient.

"Got the run of the place! I have two other people on my staff and a few housekeepers, but other than that you can think of it like a retreat from big city living!"

The trouble, Val had been informed when she arrived that afternoon, had arisen not long after Hela had left. One of the staff had suggested Loki take a shower and slip into some pajamas they would provide. To that they had gotten an icy response and a slammed door. Strange had then suggested that he should eat something; he had barely eaten his breakfast at the hospital and had been moving to the facility around lunchtime. Surely he was hungry.

"I am not eating until I get my clothes and phone."

It was a strange ultimatum, but no one was about to fight him. After that, things got worse. He had begun to pace, first in and out of rooms and then the halls. He asked how far they were from the city. When no one gave him a clear response, he became more distraught. He began to demand people's phones. One of the housekeepers relented when he threatened to accuse her of stealing. Strange found him, thankfully, already attempting to call for an Uber.

"You can't keep me here!!! I want to go home!"

That was around the time Val and Bruce arrived. Loki was going room to room screaming at the top of lungs, banging on furniture, and throwing things.

"I don't know if I can safely release him to Odin's custody," Val admitted at one point as they heard a chair get thrown.

"I don't think that's the home he's referring to,"Bruce said sadly.

"Neither do I," Strange replied. "The way he interacted with Hela in the car, I think he wanted to distance himself from her. Make it easier to leave. He kept referring to places he's been in the city. I think that was a, 'Hey I'll be fine, you'll probably find me here.'"

"But he isn't fine!" She motioned to the sound of more screaming.

"Oh, far from it. But people can get accustomed to pain and trauma."

Loki stomped into the large entrance hall and toward the small group. "I. WANT. TO. GO. HOME!"

"Where's home, Loki?" Strange asked calmly.

The young man glared at the doctor, his nostrils flaring. "I didn't agree to come here!"

"Actually, you did. This morning. You signed the waiver and everything."

"I change my mind!"

"Not how this works, kiddo."

"Well," Bruce shuffled forward, hands in his pocket, "The door isn't locked and there's no gate. You could just walk out the front door."

Loki gave the doctor a smug satisfied look and headed for the door. His hand had just touched the handle when Val spoke up.

"So, just fuck Thor, right?"

"What?"

"Fuck'em. I mean, you keep saying you want to help Thor-"

"I do."

"Save Thor-"

"I do."

"And you're given an opportunity to do that and be free, but fuck all that because you want to go 'home'."

Strange sent a warning look but Bruce nodded to keep going.

Loki didn't turn around but his shoulders had become incredibly tense and tight. His grip on the doorknob was a death grip.

"Nine years ago, I fucked up by you and Thor. I should have stayed behind and watched you overnight. Posted cops on that entire wing. Every time after that was a shit show. And now, I want to make it right. But you gotta help me. You gotta let Stephen here, and Bruce, and the staff help you. If we can help you, we can help Thor."

The pause was long and silent. Faintly, one could hear the distant sound of traffic from the road. A few housekeepers had begun to clean up after Loki's rampage. Strange's cell phone buzzed in his pocket but he made no move to answer it.

Loki turned back. His face was shiny and wet with tear tracks. 

"Okay." It was said weakly, and very shakily, but it was a start.

"Okay," Val repeated.

"I-I'm going to be in therapy?"

"When you're up for it," Strange spoke up at last. "This is your journey to recovery, not-"

"But the more I say can help Thor."

"Y-yes, but most of our sessions could and will be confidential if you decide on that."

"But you will tell part of them to the police and DA anyway. Because you work for them."

"I work to help y-"

"DON'T PATRONIZE ME!" Loki shouted. "Just tell me, will it help?"

"Yes," Strange said quickly. "Not only help therapeutic wise," Loki glared at him, "and help with any investigations."

"When do we start?"

"When do you want to start?" Bruce asked.

"Now. I want to start now."

The three glanced at one another. He was willing to talk, and it would be stupid to look gift horse in the mouth.

"Alrighty, " Strange stretched, trying to make a nonchalant gesture under the circumstances, "I guess we can go to my office. And start from the beginning."

~2009~

"I can't believe it! After only one semester of being undecided, my Baby Brother has decided on his major!"

"I'm only three years younger than you!"

"Shut up! Remember you're only here because of that stupid fake id."

Loki parodied Thor talking, receiving a gentle punch in the arm. The rest of the table laughed into their beers.

Loki indeed was too young to be here; he was 18 and barely that. He had just decided his major. English, to the disappointment of his adopted Father and delight  
of his adopted Mother. Thor, a sensible Economic major, had turned 21 a few months ago and had been bar hopping nearly every weekend with his friends and roommates. Occasionally, he would let Loki come too, though he had set down some rules.

"No ordering mixed drinks, no more than three drinks, and no flirting with anyone."

"Jealous?" he had teased, batting his eyelashes.

"Oh definitely," the older brother had replied, rolling his eyes. But there was something in his eyes that made Loki think he sort of was.

"So what sold you on being an English major?"

"I can actually professionally learn about the fantasy genre. And Dad can't say shit."

"You can't base your entire life on saying saying 'fuck you' to Dad."

"Watch me!"

"This is you coming out all over again."

"Oh I love this story," Heimdall, Thor's current crush and oldest friend, said into his beer.

Before Thor was able to finish however, a waitress came by and put down two martini glasses on the table and slid them over to him and his younger brother.

"Um, we didn't order these," he pushed the glasses back toward the woman.

"They're from that guy." She pointed to the other end of the bar to the booths in the back. Sitting alone was a thin but attractive older man, glasses balancing on the tip of his nose and his white blonde hair quaffed. He too had his own martini glass which he raised in acknowledgment. He winked playfully at the brothers.

"You two got an admirer!" Fandral laughed.

"He's not that bad looking," Hogun admitted.

"He looks like he has a lot of cash to burn," Sif looked over her shoulder at the man before turning back. "You guys should go say hi!"

"What?!" Both brothers looked scandalized.

"Standard procedure if you ever get a drink at a bar. At least say thank you."

"We'll be here if you need us."

Loki sent Thor a challenging look and the other sighed. As they moved with their drinks over toward the man, Thor hissed, "If this fucks up my chances with Heimdall, I'm going to kill you."

"It isn't my fault he bought us a drink!"

The man smiled at them as they approached the booth. "I see you got my uhm gift."

"Yes we did. Thank you."

"We weren't expecting someone to buy us drinks!"

"Really?! I'm shocked! You two must be beating off people buying you drinks all the time!"

"Nope. Not really."

"Where are my manners? Please sit down! There's more than enough space."

"Um," Loki nervously looked back at the table. The small group waved them on.

Thor slid into the booth and shrugged. "I mean, how'd you swing a booth all by yourself?"

"I hmm know the owner. Helped his sister. He's very accommodating."

Loki slid in beside his brother and finally took a sip of the cocktail. "Oh that's really good!"

"Personal favorite of mine! Glad you like it."

"Usually don't go for stuff like this but I think I found my new favorite drink."

"Tell them you want ‘the Malcolm’. They'll know what you're talking about."

"The Malcolm? Are you Malcolm?"

The man smiled and shrugged.

Conversation during the first drink was friendly and light.

"You both go to NYU AND work near full time?! AND you're out on a Friday night?! God, I wishI had your energy!"

"Being a waiter isn't that hard. And I work mostly Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Brunch rush," Thor waved the issue away.

"I just seat people. Just got promoted from dishwasher," Loki nodded, curling in his lips. "They gave me the same shift as him on Sunday but my schedule is a bit of a mess. I'm taking more clases."

"Well I can see why you both are on the Brunch shift," Malcolm's eyes wandered over the pair of them. They both blushed.

The second drink, the conversation became more flirty and loose.

"Oh my fucking God. You're brothers!"

"Adopted," Loki giggled.

"You're not the first person to make that mistake to be honest," Thor laughed into glass. "I once dated a girl once who was convinced that I was cheating on him with her."

"Oh my god, no!"

"Swear to Christ."

"Did you tell her finally."

"After a few weeks. The sex was really good."

"But the cards on the table. Have you ever-"

"No!"

"No!"

"I mean he's adopted and you’re bi and he's gay-"

"Never crossed the mind."

"Not even for a moment?"

"Nope."

Malcolm laughed. "I mean, what if, I dunno. Hmm, you met a handsome stranger in a bar. And he bought you a few drinks and you were having a great time."

"Two drinks wouldn't cut it," Thor replied.

"I guess we need another round."

"I guess we do."

The third drink was where things began to turn.

"I think you're cut off," Thor reached across the table to Loki's drink. The younger brother was swaying in his seat. Malcolm stopped his hand.

"Hey, hey, hey now. He's okay. He's fine. Your fine aren't you, Lo Lo?"

"More than okay," Loki giggled, stretching out in the booth.

"How about you? You good?"

Thor was about to say something but forgot. He giggled too. "This drink is strong!"

"I'll order water next round, Sparkles."

He didn't order water next round.

"Hey!" Thor slurred from his position on the table. "Youse only hads one or two drinks."

"Oh sweetheart, you're just finding this out now?"  
Malcolm's voice wasn't as fun anymore. It sounded full of authority and menacing.

"G-group," Loki moaned. "Get to group."

"They're outside sweet thing. They called you boys a cab."

The younger brother tried to slide out of the booth and walk, but nearly fell forward. Someone caught him and helped him walk. Thor needed two people apparently, grumbling all the while. Malcom followed behind.

There was indeed a car waiting for them outside. A van actually. The group was nowhere in sight. The doors opened as they approached and two pairs of hands grabbed Loki and half threw half pushed him into the back. He tried to get out but his movements were uncoordinated. Thor struggled more, and was able to land a few punches to one of them before someone came up behind him with a taser. He went down, and he was shoved in beside his brother.

“Take them to the location, and no funny business. They’re mine and any person who touches them gets their hand removed. Got that. No playing coy about this. Swear to God, if you-”

‘Malcolm’s’ words were cut off as the door closed and they were cast into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that is a Jurassic Park reference.


	3. Chapter 3

"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." No one laughed. "Seriously?! Goodfellas! One of the greatest mob movies of all times! One of the greatest movies of all time!" No one spoke. "I will have you know that was a spot on Ray Liotta impression."

"Not now, Tony," Natasha Romanoff said from her position leaning against his desk.

It was midmorning the next day, and they were all packed into ADA's office. Tony Stark, the ADA in question was leaning back in his office chair, feet on the desk. Since his joke had fallen flat, he had taken to staring at the ceiling. His partner, Natasha, fiddled with the recording device they had been listening to. Strange had recorded Loki's recounting of the initial kidnapping before the young man had broken down and cut the interview off. Now, protectively, the psychiatrist batted the woman's hand away from the recording as though it held some essence of the young man that needed to be taken care of. Val and Bruce sat side by side, Val's old notes on her lap while Bruce had a condensed version of all the notes the department had taken over the years on Gast in his.

"Anyway," the detective said as she picked through the mess of paper on her lap, "Loki and Thor both worked at Lille Melt."

"Thought they would be able to go to college and not work."

"Apparently Odin cut Thor off when he refused to go to live in the dorms. And I think he cut Loki off for refusing to go to Georgetown."

"Father of the year."

"Lille Melt is owned by a lieutenant in the Sakaar family. And it was a frequent destination for Gast until well about nine and half years ago."

"Are you saying he saw the two of them and was like, 'Yeah, that's what I want'?" Tony asked.

"Basically, yeah," Bruce glanced at his notes. "That place was and has always been filled with lower level thugs and their family members trying to make their bones. Boss could have expressed interest and a dozen of their coworkers could have started supplying him with information about them."

"Why not snatch them from work then?" Natasha adjusted herself on the desk.

"Too many witnesses and sober Thor really could have held his own. So could Loki. They weren't pushovers."

"So he waits until they're off work and school, then takes them."

"The technique is pretty common for kidnappings associated with Sakaar. What's unusual is Gast being personally involved," Val shufffled through her papers.

"He was in the old days." Stark took his feet off the desk and pulled his chair up. "Back when it was his stepfather's operation."

"I remember hearing that," the other ADA said. "Stepdaddy married Mommy for her real estate money and gave Gast responsibility for like some delis and restaurants that had bookie operations in the back. He made them legitimately profitable and expanded the  
non legit stuff as well. Drugs, girls, and gambling, get a good meal while you wait. That was the pitch. He basically bought his stepdad out of being the boss."

"Oh there's a lot more to him raising to head of the Sakaar family besides that, but yeah. The old guys used to say he was performing mob beautification. Nowadays you'd call it mob gentrification."

"Has anyone verified Loki's account?"

"Fandral Dashwood. Roommates with both brothers," Val slid a yellowing copy of her original notes and a more recent copy over the desk. "He says they went out, they got drinks, they went to Gast's table. The group lost track of them for about an hour or so before they were told they left."

"Who told them?"

"The bartender. Apparently Gast paid for their tab before he left."

"How gentlemanly."

Strange's phone rang. He put his finger up to silence everyone and answered, professionally saying, "Dr. Stephen Strange, how can I help you?" There was a pause as he listened. He frowned slightly. "How is he reacting?" His frown deepened. "How long?" He looked around at Val and mouthed, 'Loki.'

"No shit," she hissed jumping up and pushing her papers toward Stark. Stark shook his head at the papers and Romanoff took them quickly.

"That was my assistant. Apparently Loki found a channel on the cage match in Atlantic City. And he saw Thor. And Gast."

"I'm guessing he didn't take it well."

"Actually, he took it remarkably well. You would think he was watching his favorite television show the way it sounds. They've been unable to get him to turn it off is the problem.”

Val and Strange got to the facility an hour later. Loki was still in the main 'common area', parked on the floor in front of the TV. He reminded her of a child watching a Saturday morning cartoon show: he was still dressed in his pajamas and he was clutching a pillow close to his chest. He wasn't really smiling, but his face had an enraptured look as he looked at the screen. On the screen, Gast was being interviewed.

"You think it's going to be a great fight?"

"I sure hope it is for how expensive it was to put on!" Everyone laughed. "But seriously, I do think it will be a good fight. We got the good ol' crowd favorite, Groot. Love'em to death. Not much of a talker."

"Not a peep, really," Thor agreed.

"But he's a good guy. Then you got 'The Punisher' over there. Oooh boy, is this going to be a fight."

"Nothing nice to say about Castle?"

"He's hot? If you're into that kind of thing," Thor shrugged.

Gast playfully pulled him close. "Naughty thing! He likes to play coy!" He kissed Thor who quickly deepened the kiss, moaning loadly as the Grandmaster's hand travelled down to his legs and began to slide upward.

Loki whimpered, curling in on himself more.

"Hey now! We're a pay-per-view channel but it ain't that kind of pay-per-view!" The host laughed, but made no move to physically stop them.

"Loki?" Val sat down on the couch. She glanced at Strange. He was analyzing the younger man's behavior as well as analyzing as much as he could from Thor's on the television.

"He's not so mad anymore," was the response she received. "He was so mad when he left. He kept saying he was going to make Thor stay in hotel room....and visit with people."

"'Visit with people'?"

"They wear condoms, so it's okay."

She grimaced at that. "Maybe you should turn off the television."

"I usually get to watch all of his interviews when we're away from one another. I even get to call in sometimes," he looked around hopefully. "I think I can remember the number. Can I have a phone?"

"No!" Val grabbed the remote from a side table and turned it off.

Loki gave out a cry as the screen went black, scrambling over to manually turn it on. Strange was faster and blocked his path.

"Nope! No more television for today. At least not until we talk about what just happened here."

"All that happened was some FUCKING BITCH turned off the television!"

"New rule: no name-calling people are trying to help you."

"Shut up asshole!"

"Already broke it."

"Loki, do you remember what you talked about with Dr. Strange yesterday?"

That caused a change. The young man seemed to shrink and became suddenly fascinated with the fabric of the rug. He nodded slowly.

"Do you think maybe it would be wise if we pick up where you left off?"

Loki shrugged, standing up and swaying slightly. "In the office again?"

"Until I get in the habit of carrying around a recorder, afraid so."

"C-can Val come with us again?"

"Of course. Whatever makes it easier."

~2009~

They were unsure how long they had been down here, in the dark. The few people who had come by to look at them and replace the bucket that served as their toilet didn't exactly come on a regular schedule. Nor were they chatty. They usually just threatened them if they did not make an escape attempt, brandishing their guns at them. They hadn't eaten anything in what felt like days. They had been given water, but only just enough it seemed. There was no blanket or material to make anything resembling a bed. There was a patch of the wall that was warmer than the rest, but it was close to the door. And the brutes had a habit of throwing open the door. Thor nearly had his nose broken once.

The door opened once more. The light behind it was so bright compared to the room they were in that they drew back, shielding their eyes.

"Ah, you are behaving today!" The voice was familiar. It sent a shiver down Loki's spine.

'Malcolm' entered the rook followed by four men. He was wearing tailored pants and a ridiculous paisley shirt. He smelled of spiced cologne. His hands were in his pockets and he made a small gesture with his head. A fifth man entered, bringing in a chair before retreating out once more.

As he daintily sat and crossed his legs, he smiled. "My, you boys must really be bored. Nothing really to do here. Well, there's ah ha one thing I guess you can be doing here." He winked and all four of the men laughed on cue. The brothers kept silent. The man sighed. "To business I sup-"

"You won't get away with this!" Thor barked, trying to stand. The man nearest him pushed him back down.

"Rule one, sweetheart. No interrupting me. You wait to sp-"

"Our Father knows men in the FBI! And Police Commissioner!" Loki shouted.

'Malcolm' sighed and rubbed his temple. "I didn't want to do this the first day." He snapped his fingers and all four men withdrew handguns from their belts, pointing them straight at Loki. The young man cried out and Thor immediately threw himself over his brother.

"Hey now, nothing's going to happen! Not if you both behave. I said, don't interrupt me. So don't interrupt me. Very simple. Now, do either of you know who I am?"

Again the brothers were silent.

"It's okay if you don't. My name is En Dwi Gast. Though everyone calls me by my title; The Grandmaster."

Thor swore quietly and Loki's eyes widened. Everyone in New York knew the Grandmaster.

"See you do know me!" Gast clapped his hands excitedly. "Now, I don't really need you to introduce yourselves. Thor Valhalla, oldest son, second child of Odin Valhalla the famous attorney who has made his bones in the international diplomacy trade. And you  
are Loki Valhalla, adopted son of Odin. Your original Father was Laufey Jotunheim, who died as part of a peace delegation. Your birth Mother gave you to her friend Frigga before she took that last bow."

"You can get all this from a Google search or day at the goddamn library with an up to date periodical section,"Thor growled. He had waited until Grandmaster stopped speaking.

The man shrugged. "They said I was a lazy student in school." He stroked his chin. "You two hungry?"

It was a surreal moment. He had asked like they were in the middle of an interview or had been visiting. It had been asked casually, ignoring the guns and the bucket of human waste in the corner. He stood and nodded. "Come on. Let's see if we can't fill your bellies."

They used one another as a crutch as they were forced to follow him out of the room. They were surrounded by men with guns and they were too weak to really break free.

Gast led them to another room that had been set up with a folding table and three chairs. He waved each into a chair. He smiled eagerly at them. Sitting between them, he waved over two women with silver serving trays. In front of Loki they placed a bowl of  
soup, Minestrone, his favorite. Thor had been given a Monte Cristo. They stared at one another over their plates: the meal was a familiar one. They had had it before. It was the last lunch they had ordered when their Mother had come into the city to visit.

"You know, Frigga is a beautiful woman," Gast was saying. He had been handed a folder and he was going through it, slowly and with exaggerated care. He took out a photograph and put it in the center of the table. Frigga, Loki, and Thor were sitting outside a cafe, laughing as Hela moved to sit down with them. "I mean, you tell me she has kids in her twenties and I wouldn't believe it. Good genes." His eyes swept over Thor. "Good genes."

"What do you want?"

"Right now, I want you to eat. You're hungry, aren't you sweetheart? Eat something for me. Please?"

The meal tasted of ash and salt. But they both ate every last bite.


	4. Chapter 4

Thor swiped through his phone idly. They were finally making their way back to New York after the week away. Grandmaster was beside him in the back seat of the town car, also on his phone, speaking quietly to a business associate. Which business, legal or  
otherwise, he really didn't care. He was being ignored for the time being; a thrilling and devastating respite from the man's near constant attention over the week.

He thumbed through his gallery once more, stopping on a picture of Loki he had taken a few months ago. Unlike the numerous 'fun' photos he had of his brother, where the younger man smiled or posed or sent the camera a funny face, this picture was quiet. He probably didn't know it had been taken. He was sitting in their private room in one of numerous hotels they called home. He was at the window, the evening light pouring in behind him as he read. No Grandmaster or his entourage peeping just barely within frame. No opulent sign of wealth. One could hardly tell it was in hotel at all. In this picture, his brother was freer than he had been in the last ten years. It took all Thor's strength not to kiss the treasured picture.

Gast was concluding his phone call. Thor quickly switched albums on his phone to screenshots of items he 'wanted'. He was supposed to be one of a pair of dumb sugar babies most of the time, after all. 'His bimbo,' as Grandmaster liked to cheekily remind him. 'My spoiled little Princesses.'

"At least 'the shipment' is coming in on time. 'The batch' is going to be delayed another three days because I dunno!" Gast threw his head back dramatically as he put away his phone. "I give clear instructions and I am just surrounded by..." he drifted off. He did this often, when inconveniences happen. He would forget about it seemingly, never bring it up again. Until inconvenience led to incompetence.

He leaned over and put his head on Thor's shoulder, glancing at his phone. "Whatcha looking at?" It was said flirtatiously, a hand once again creeping to his thigh.

Thor showed him the VR headset and controller he had saved. He made his eyes as wide and clueless as possible. "It's only 199."

"For everything? All the bits and bobs?"

He shrugged.

"Hmm, I could get you that, if you wanted. Or, or I could take you boys to the Caribbean again."

"I think we'd prefer Disneyworld." It was veiled sarcasm, but anything would be better than being in New York.

"Well, maybe if my boys are good...," he shrugged. They would probably get both, and the trip to the Caribbean so Gast could do his offshore banking. He doted on them when business was good, mostly to spend some of over accumulating wealth. Don't want the IRS sniffing around.

When they finally made it back to the Gladiator Hotel, the doorman greeted Gast with his customary jolly manner. As always, the Grandmaster told him a joke and slipped him a twenty as he held his sides with laughter. The doorman spared not a glance at Thor. Even when Thor left on morning runs or to perform some errand, he barely seemed to register he existed. He was just 'one of the boys'.

The penthouse as always was already full of people. The usual group; the top Lieutenants and a few of their mistresses, a few people hoping to get some sort of favor, and of course the penthouse crew. Bodyguards and delivery men that practically lived on site. Most did. Who wouldn't want to live in a penthouse? Or even under one?

"The gang's all here!" Gast called. Everyone greeted him warmly and with loud cheers. A few of the penthouse crew were on one of the numerous game consoles 'the boys' owned. They waved and called like the rest but continued to play. Thor felt a strange possessive need to rip the controller out of their hands. That was his and Loki's! It was a gift! A gift for...

For being good.

He settled in on one of the chairs at the drink bar that was along the opposite wall and tried to ignore the sound of gameplay.

"It's good to be home!" Gast smiled as one of the women in the room pressed a drink into his hand. Then he frowned. "Something's not right."

Everyone went tense. They didn't move a single muscle. They barely moved their eyes.

"Where's Lo Lo?"

Thor's mind snapped to attention. He began to look around the room. By now, Loki would have come out from their private room. No matter how beaten, no matter how scared, he would have come. He would play his part, leaping into the Grandmaster's arms, asking if he had been brought a treat. Sometimes he would shyly walk out of the room, needing to be tugged into the embrace. Other times, when Loki was feeling bold, he would walk out wearing one of the numerous 'outfits' that they had. Costumes that either left little to the imagination or clothing from Thor and the Grandmaster's closet.

But Loki was not here. He quickly glanced at Gast. Gast had a bemused look of puzzlement on his face. Clearly, Loki not being here was not part of the 'punishment'. He tried not to leap up and pace or show any visible sign of distress, but his capacity to hide such things was nonexistent now. Immediately, Gast caught him beginning to panic. Quickly, as though he was comforting Thor (but it was comforting, wasn't it?) he pulled the young man into his embrace.

"My Lo Lo better come soon. My Sparkle is losing his shine," he tutted, his voice an exaggerated tender parody.

Thor snorted pathetically, curling into his Grandmaster for comfort. He always knew what to say.

"Well? He was your responsibility?" This was directed at Mario, one of the lieutenants and head of the penthouse crew. "What happened?"

"Well we were going to give him the works, like you wanted," Mario said nervously. "Then we got a call about 'The Batch' and I went to deal with that for you best I could. So we wouldn't be delayed a month on that."

"And?"

"So I left the kid with Tommy," he motioned to the couch to one of the men playing games. Tommy was fairly new to the penthouse crew and he was, to put it mildly, an idiot. He was a jumped-up relative of someone, and like anyone in a position because of  
nepotism, he had a certain attitude of invulnerability. He was still playing the game, ignoring all the attention in the room shifting to him.

Gast moved quietly to stand behind Tommy. He watched the screen and the flashing lights of the game. His face was calm. He even smiled slightly. "Tommy, um Tommy."

Tommy didn't pause the game but threw a glance over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"You took care of Loki for Mario?"

"The brat? Yeah, we roughed him up. Like yah said. Gave him the dock side special!" He laughed and elbowed one of his companions. The companion was catching on to what was happening and did not laugh back.

Thor began to advance on the man, seeing red. Loki wasn't some nosy harbor agent or business owner who was late with his protection money. He didn't deserve...

The Grandmaster put out a hand to stop him. "So after that. After you gave him this dockside special."

"We went out for a bit I think. Dunno. Smoked a few bowls." There was a shrug as he continued to play.

"We went to the hospital," one of the other men said.

"Oh yeah! Fucking brat was moaning and not moving. Did a roll stop at Mercy."

The room began to tilt. Thor stumbled back. It had been years since either of them had been beaten so badly to warrant the hospital. Gast had become more cautious and they had become more obedient. Usually though, they were back within a few days. Hospital officials could be bought off to release patients early and their many a doctor who would be willing to treat them here in the penthouse. There would be only two reasons why Loki wasn't here then.

"So, he's dead?" It was asked casually, like he was asking if someone had a nice weekend. Like Loki's existence was nothing more than just a simple matter,  
like a chore off the list.

"I dunno!" Tommy continued to play the game.

"You didn't go to the hospital to check?"

"Fuck, that ain't my job!"

"Actually, that is." The television was turned off. The man was suddenly keenly aware of the danger he was in. Tommy was dragged quickly from his seat by Mario and several of the other penthouse crew members. They quickly gagged the man and frog-marched him to the maid's elevator, the way to the basement and scene of operations.

Gast rubbed his face and pulled at his lips. "Well I-I can't say that doesn't change a few things."

Mario had returned. "Grandmaster I'm sorry. He's Lenny's boy-"

"I know."

"His Mother is going to want to at least bury him. She's a proper broad. But I can talk to her if you want."

"No it's fine. Keep him alive and intact until I hear back from the hospital. Call Lenny. He has other kids?"

"He's Catholic, so yeah."

"Well, one less son is nothing to fret over. Someone fetch me Topaz." He finally turned back to Thor. Thor knew better than to leave before being dismissed. "Poor Lo Lo, isn't that right my love?"

"I-I want to go to the hospital to find him."

"No, no! I want you here. Here at home. Right where I know you're safe."

He wanted to shake his head and ask again. He wanted to run at the man to either tear him limb from limb or to plead on his knees. He felt fear that Loki was gone, that he was truly alone now. That it was just him, the Grandmaster, and a memory he had no one to share it with. But there was a thrill of hope.

Loki could be free...one way or another....

"May I go to my room?" To be alone. To mourn, to pray, to rage, to laugh, to scream....

"For a few hours. Then we're going to go talk to Tommy."

Thor nodded and left. If there was a silver lining to all this, it would be one of the few times he got to kill someone who had hurt his younger brother.


	5. Chapter 5

"He came in every other day after to feed us like that. He usually brought part of the newspaper or a magazine and he would read to us. Comics, the society page, movie reviews, weird letters to the editor. Nothing really important. But it was new and it was  
interesting. Sometimes he brought more pictures...of us...or our family and friends. He brought one of Thor at the gym. Like inside the gym. And really close it seemed like. He brought one of me going into one of my professors' office. He would make comments, jokes about it. About what we wearing. He liked bringing in photos of our Dad to show us. Recent photos too. Just Odin going on his daily routine. Like nothing was amiss."

"That must have been very hard."

There was a pause in the recording. Finally, "I think I am done talking for today."

As the recording was flicked off, Hela drummed her fingers on the table. "Daddy has always been very distant from us. Mom said it was because he was from another generation and the Old Country. Our family I think has a castle over there. He always acted like it. So we had to be great and exceptional, in a way he chose for us. He wanted me to go into charity work, like Mom. Thor would follow him into the firm. And Loki...well Loki was going to be the one who actually went into politics. We all disappointed him."

"There's a lot to unpack right there," Strange said,"but we need your help."

They were in the ADA's conference room, nowhere else offering the security of not being overheard. Dr. Foster had called that morning to say that three men had come to the hospital and demanded records relating to Loki and where he was transferred. While the medical records department had held firm in not handing them over, the three had simply went up to the top floor to the hospital administrators' offices and  
were still up there. They were now working against the clock.

"Loki has stalled in talking to us," Val explained.

"Stalled?"

"He's been reluctant to talk to us about the sexual violence he and Thor have experienced," Bruce said delicately.

Hela grimaced. "I see. What can I do?"

"I think we need to limit the amount of masculine energy and give him a supportive environment to speak about this."

"Why?! Because he's gay?! Women are naturally nurturing bullshi-"

"Because his rapist is a man!" Strange banged his hands on the table. Once he calmed down, he said, "And I think he has come to see me as a different version of Gast I think."

"What?! How?" Natasha cried from her seat at one of the heads of the table.

"Male figure who's house he lives in. Lays down a bunch of rules. Makes him feel vulnerable. It would be best that he feels safe to speak on that trauma. I was going to try to contact my old professor, but she's out of the country again."

"Wouldn't telling his sister also be traumatizing?" Stark asked. "I mean, I can't imagine telling my sister about a consensual sexual encounter, nevermind a nonconsensual one."

"If Loki knows his sister is there to support him, he may find it easier to speak. We had hoped to reach out to Odin. We hit a dead end on that front," Val twisted her face in a show of disgust. Odin had hung up during their first pitch. The second time he had asked when they were going to stop taking the word of an addict. They had not attempted a third time.

"Worse case, we ask you to leave the room and come back when we're done."

Hela chewed her lip. "If you think it will help..."

"It will most certainly help."

~~~~~

Loki seemed happy to see his sister. She had brought several therapy coloring books and an array of colored pencils and they spent the first hour of her visit sitting on the floor of Strange's office bent over their own respective pages. They talked some, mostly on their memories of their childhood and their Mother. A bit about Thor. Loki seemed reluctant to speak too much about his brother with his sister. A strange reaction from his usual intense need to speak about him.

After the hour, Strange gave Hela a nod. Nervously, the older woman cleared her throat. "Um, Loki?"

"Hmmm?" He was still focused on his coloring.

"Dr. Strange has asked me to be here for one of your sessions."

That made him look up. "Why?"

"Because I am going to ask you a few things that may make you...uncomfortable."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Loki," Val spoke up. They had found it was easier sometimes if she asked the harder questions. "When did Gast first sexually assault you?"

The young man put his pencil down and hugged himself. His eyes were wide and he was beginning to shake.

"It's okay. I'm here," Hela said quietly, scooting closer.

"I'll be here for as long as you need me."

There was no reply.

"Loki, talking about this can help. It will go a long way to helping," Strange said soothingly. He had learned to stop referring to these sessions as therapy. Even if that was what were, and they did seem to help the younger man's poor mental state, the moment they were said to help him and not Thor, Loki would cut the session short. Today, that could not happen.

"Would you like one of us to leave the room?" Val offered. They had all learned to work the recording device before they had arrived. Even if he asked for Strange and Val to leave, Hela could still gather the evidence.

Loki shook his head. "I- I can do it. J-just don't be mad..."

"Nothing you say will make me mad at you!"

"Not at me...at Thor. Please don't be mad at Thor..."

~2009~

"You two stink!"

It was their fifteenth meal with the Grandmaster. Loki had been given rosemary chicken with sauteed vegetables and Thor had a large pork chop with pureed sweet potatoes. The food was so rich both of them felt slightly queasy, but neither of them threw up. The last time they had thrown up, they had been beaten.

"I don't think I can emphasize how bad you two stink. You smell so bad, it's putting me off my meal!"

They simply looked at one another. Thor's hair had nearly turned brown from going unwashed, and he had a beard to match. Loki's hair was so greasy that it appeared permanently wet. He was developing acne around his scalp. There was dirt and god knows what else under their long fingernails, and their clothes were nearly falling off them in rags. If they were let go at this point, they would probably be mistaken for homeless.

"I think you two need a shower," the Grandmaster said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. His fingernails were manicured and occasionally he even painted them different colors. Today, they were plain. "Unfortunately, I can only really have one of you go and get a shower at a time. You know how it is." They didn't but said nothing. "So I'm going to give you both a choice. Who goes and gets their shower today, and who goes tomorrow?"

Neither of them spoke up. They glanced at one another nervously. This could be a trick. But they both also wanted to feel clean. There was an intense need to feel human and not like a caged animal.

"Do I have to sweeten the deal? My, you two just want to be spoiled! Alright to sweeten the pot, after the shower, the lucky boy gets to go to the new room I've prepared for you. A nicer room than the one you have now. They also get a second meal! Ta da! Now, that-that's generous! Come on! Speak up!"

"A nicer room?" Loki asked, his voice horse and scratchy.

"Yes! And new clothes! What you're wearing," Gast shook his head. "Just won't do!"

"Loki should go first." Thor took a large bite of his pork chop as he spoke. He used to things like this similar when Odin had berated Loki about his school performance or his behaviour. He would make a comment about Loki still having the highest grades in class or that their Father always took a stranger's word over Loki's. His eyes would never look at either the person who he addressed or spoke about.

"That's very generous of you, Sparkles," Gast chuckled.

Thor shrugged. "You're right. We stink. He smells worse."

The Grandmaster turned to Loki who looked shocked between the two men. "Anything to say to your brother?"

~2019~

"He didn't know! You have to understand! I would've done the same thing! I was going to do the same thing! But I think I was getting sick and he was worried...please..." Loki shook his head violently as he pleaded with them.

"It's okay," Hela whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She took the younger man into her arms. "Neither of you were responsible for what that monster did."

"Can you keep going, Loki?" Val asked gently.

He nodded. "He sent Thor back to the basement. I forget which hotel that was, but all of his hotels have basements like that. He took me with him up to the gym. He had closed it, so we were the only people in there. Me, him, and his thugs. He told me to undress and to hand over my clothes. He said he was going to burn them. As I did that he messed around with one of the showers. It was a large stall, really big. He kept checking the temperature. He said he wanted to make sure it was comfortable...

"When I was undressed he gave me a bunch of soaps and shampoos. Really high end brands. He told me that I was lucky I didn't need to shave, though he said he may shave my...my..." Loki looked away, blushing. "He likes me to have less hair than Thor. Thor only has to trim his. He likes us to have shaved legs sometimes."

The three nodded, but said nothing.

"He told me I could shower myself, but not to miss a spot. I went to close the curtain, but he opened it again. He said,'I have to make sure that you're clean.' He had one of his thugs bring him a chair, and he sat down. When I didn't go under the water right away, he said I was being ungrateful of Thor's gift. That I couldbe sent back to 'our' room and explain to Thor how I didn't want his gift. I just wanted to be clean.

"It was the shower was the best I've ever had. At first. He had made the water so warm and the soaps smelled so nice...I think I scrubbed myself twice before shampooing my hair. He just watched me. Sometimes he laughed when I began drinking the water or cried when I worked out a knot in my hair.

"I guess I got caught up in the water being so warm. I'd been cold for so long. I didn't notice...him getting closer. I didn't notice until he pulled me close to him. He ran his hand down my...tattoo," Loki rubbed his left upper thigh. "He said I looked so cute. I asked him to let me go. He kept his hand on my tattoo. I didn't want him to touch me! I tried to run but he slammed me into the wall. He said if I ran out of the gym area and into the lobby, they'd think I was some runaway who broke in. The police would come and arrest me. And if and when they came looking for Thor, they wouldn't find him because he'd be dead. So I should just be good and accept the compliment. He started touching my..."

The younger man began to look physically ill. A waste paper basket was found and put in front of him. There were a few attempts, but nothing seemed to come up.

"I think we can call this a sess-" Strange started to say but was interrupted by Loki.

"He made me hard, and said I was being so good for him. He said if I continued to be good, he probably wouldn't have to do this tomorrow with Thor. He said he would use lube, so I wouldn't tear....and he did, y'know? He didn't lie. He never really lies to us. He  
just says things in a very particular way....And he was gentle. He let me cum. Sometimes he won't let us." Loki's eyes were vacant. "He likes to make us beg, but I was good that first time.

"I remember the shower was still going and his clothes were getting wet. It seemed silly, to get your clothes wet over something so trivial..."

"Loki, he was..."

Strange shushed Hela. "Loki, did he use a condom?"

The young man shook his head. "He never does."

"What happened afterward?"

"He let me finish my shower. He made me kiss him. He kept...touching me. Then he got my new clothes. They were just some lounge pants and a shirt, but they were so soft...and they were my favorite color. Then he took me back to the basement but to a different room. It was nicer. It looked like an actual bedroom, sorta. It had a mattress, a blanket, and a bowl of soup for me. He sat with me as I ate it. He held me while I did so. He was...very nice. He said that once I learned to be good, Thor and I could have a much nicer room. And have whatever we want. I-I think I said I just wanted to go home. He smiled and said when I was good...

"Thor showered the next day...he wasn't as good as I was. He was bleeding when I saw him. But he still got to go to our new room." Loki picked at a loose thread of his shirt. "Can we stop now?"

"Yes. I think we can call this a day."


	6. Chapter 6

~2010~

"How are my boys today?"

"Good, Grandmaster," they chirped. The response had become automatic.

The room had changed since they were first brought to it. They had been given two laundry baskets, one for their new clean clothes and one for their old dirty clothes. They had been given sheets and pillows for their mattress. They got to use the bathroom three times a day and with the two meals they were fed daily, they had been able to gain a bit of their weight back.  
They showered and groomed every other day. The Grandmaster used them when he wished, and they had learned slowly that there was nothing they could do to stop it. They were slowly growing to accept it.

"Are you?"

They stiffened and nervously moved back onto the mattress. They had also learned that 'not being good' was a punishable offense.

"Mario, bring me the laptop."

~2019~

"Well, I've bought us some time," Stark announced. "Technically, Loki's paperwork says he was released to the state's care. That could mean anything from a halfway house to prison."

"That'll drive Gast crazy," Bruce said through mouthfuls of chow mein.

"How's Loki's sessions going?"

"Really well. I don't have to be there anymore. I think we're really close to getting him ready to start talking about the crimes he's witnessed. Well," Val shrugged and made a gesture with her chopsticks, "other crimes."

"Good. Because to be honest, it's very hard to get kidnapping and rape to stick on Gast."

"Isn't this the usual pattern for how Sakaar groom the men and women they kidnap for sexual slavery?"

"Yes and no. Usually, everything is impersonal and systematic. Break them down as quick as possible before training them to be obedient," Natasha  
explained, leaning over her own container of food. "They don't train a victim for a specific person. You go and buy from an already 'trained' selection. And most of those kids trained have a kill switch."

"A what?"

"If they're caught or find themselves in police custody, they kill themselves."

Bruce flung down his food. "Fuck."

"It's amazing we have information we have about the Sakaar organization. Low level punks would rather do that than flip. Half the prison populations are on the take of Sakaar, so stitches find themselves either beaten into silence or bought off for protection. And most people wouldn't mind some of Gast's clean money. He's known to be generous come election season," Tony pulled up a container of fried rice. "Our biggest problem with Loki is going to be all the media of him and Thor being lovey dovey with Gast."

"They were forced!" Val cried.

"I know that. But people are going to have a hard time believing that. And there's all that coverage of the brothers...being an 'item'."

"Again, Gast forced them! Loki was adopted when he was about a year old! They were as close to blood as you can get! I don't think they wanted...," she shook her head. "That's just impossible."

~2010~

"Keeping both your internet histories this long was quite interesting. Had to get into your old apartment. Your roommate, Fandral? He went out looking for you instead of going to class the day after I found you." He clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "School is much more important."

Loki wanted to rip the laptop out of the Grandmaster's lap and throw it on the floor. Smash it into pieces. Smash it over the bastard's head. But there was still the thugs. Less of them. Gast now only used three to subdue them instead of four, but that was still too many to fight off. And Loki didn't want to fight. He wanted approval. He wanted to be left alone. He wanted....

Gast opened the laptop and pressed a few buttons. He dramatically put his reading glasses on and balanced it on the tip of his nose. "Hmmm...very interesting, boys. Very interesting."

He turned the laptop around. The screen was open to a porn site, the bright colorful banner reading 'Twink Haven'. An animated slender young man blew a kiss over his shoulder as high stuck out his bottom. Loki felt Thor shrink back beside him.

"Oh, Sparkles don't be shy! We all have our preferences. Not all of us sign up and actually join the site, but you did. My, you logged a lot of time here! Favorited some tags," he turned the laptop back. "'Brunette cuties'. 'Jailbait meat'. Oooooh my!" Gast laughed. "Now, now this is exciting! 'Incest'. 'Little Brothers'."

Thor was violently shaking his head.

"It's alright sweetheart. It's okay. I mean, having such an adorable boy near you growing up and not being able to do anything. Not able to reach out and take him. I'm sorry I took his first time from you. Wanted that, didn't you?"

"No!"

"Really? You watched this video,'Ben's first time' sixteen times. I mean, look at him! He looks a lot like...," he turned the laptop around again. The screen had a dark haired boy laid out on a bed, his hazel eyed filling with tears as he was penetrated by someone holding the camera. He did look like Loki, if crudely. His nose was a little too long, and his hair was more curly.

The Grandmaster clicked the image and the video began. 'Ben' moaned and cried, "Big Brother, your dick is too big. You're going to split me in half!! Oh god! Big Brother! Please!" The video was paused again.

"You commented, Sparkles. 'That cutie has nothing on my Little Bro.' I have to agree."

"Loki," Thor grabbed him and spun him to look at him. He looked crazed. His eyes were wide and filled with fear. "I would never....I know it's wrong....but I never would have acted on it!"

"Oh don't break Lo Lo's heart!"

Loki felt a cold feeling settle in his chest. He struggled out of Thor's grasp and bolted for the door. He was grabbed immediately and pinned between two of the thugs. The other took out his gun and pointed it at Thor's head. He went limp, tears spilling out his eyes.

The Grandmaster was idly still typing on the laptop as though nothing had happened. He was humming softly to himself and occasionally sang a few lyrics.

"There it is!" He leaned over to Thor and stage whispered conspiratorially, "You and your Little Brother are a lot alike. But he's more, hmmm, well..." He straightened and adjusted the screen. "This is from a support group for children and adults who are adopted, under a messageboard for people who find their step siblings attractive."

Gast cleared his throat and began to read: "Posted from KingMischief17. A few years ago, my adopted Brother came out as bi, and I was sooooo happy. I've known since I was about five I was gay and I always knew I had wanted to be with him. I drew a picture of us getting married once. My Mom found and kept it. She didn't know it was about my brother. I get jealous when he dates anyone! I've intentionally broke him and a few girls up before he came out. Send bad texts or not tell him they would call so he wouldn't call back, leave our sister's underwear in his room so they think he's cheating, pretended to be sick so he blows off time with them to be with me. He's very protective of me. I know it was wrong, but I love him. I love him so much it hurts sometimes. I am going to make an effort to be better though. He's been away at college for a few years and I don't see him as much. I think once at college, I can finally grow out of this. He should find someone who isn't a silly kid with an overactive crush."

Loki closed his eyes, defeated. He didn't want to see Thor's reaction. Or the Grandmaster's. He didn't want to hear or see the mocking voices of the men. He didn't want to know what happened next.

He just wanted to be with Thor....

~2019~

"Loki, when was the first time Gast forced you and Thor to have sex?"

"I don't remember."


	7. Chapter 7

"You want me to WHAT?!"

Val grimaced as Loki began to pace around the room. It had now been a few weeks and they had all agreed it was time for the young man to start giving them intel on Gast. Other than the mountain of evidence they had gathered on the rape, abuse, and horror that had visited on the two brothers. Naturally that meant: one, getting Loki to tell them more of what he witnessed and two, agreeing to testify against the Grandmaster.

Easier said than done.

"No! No fucking way! I've told you enough! I don't need to say anything else!"

"Don't you want to hel-"

"Don't pull that shit on me! I've given you enough to help Thor! Can't you arrest him?!"

"Possibly, but he could get the charges dropped. He was very clever making it seem like you were both in a relationship with him willingly. All those public appearances," Val waved away the rest of the words.

"He....," Loki shook his head. "It was a treat. Getting out of the penthouse or our room. And he was always the sweetest in public."

Natasha sent Strange a look who put a finger to his lips for quiet. Finally he asked, "Was he ever sweet alone with you two?"

The young man nodded so fiercely they were all shocked he didn't break his neck. He looked up at them and his eyes were wide and slightly distant. "He could be so kind and loving and tender. You would forget...."

"That he kidnapped y-" Tony began but was cut off.

"You would forget all the bad times. I don't want to think about those times. I've told you enough," he repeated.

"We can't work with what you have given us! We need more!" Bruce slammed his fists on the table. Loki jumped at the noise. "This isn't just about helping you or Thor! This isn't a fluffy feel good put your life back on track mission! This is to stop a criminal from selling drugs to kids operation! Stop more people from getting raped and sold! Stop people from getting killed in underground fight clubs! Stop the gambling! Stop the political corruption!! This isn't just about you! This is a hell of a lot bigger!"

Everyone in the room nervously looked at the young brunette. No one really knew what he would do after being talked to like that. He was still fragile, and Strange had mentioned just yesterday that he felt that a lot of Loki"s seeming 'recovery' was mostly false to allow him some more space. The odd vacant stare and pronouncement of Gast being 'sweet' could be evidence of that. Even if the recovery was faked, however, it wouldn't help matters to yell at him.

But to everyone's amazement, Loki sat slowly down. He looked angrily at Bruce before directing himself to Val. "Did a few years ago, the police have an undercover in Sakaar?"

"We've had a bunch over the years."

"But one that made it really close to the Grandmaster? Into the penthouse? May have reported on arms dealing?"

It was Tony who spoke. "His name was Peter Maximoff. He went in 2012. Never found or heard from him after our last raid."

"Do you want to know what happened to him?"

~2012~

It was moments like this that made the year in the basement seem like a bad dream. Like it happened to someone else. His Grandmaster could never have done that to him! His Grandmaster was too kind! Too funny! Too charming!

Gast had found a DVD of an old movie and declared they would watch it. They didn't get to argue with this, nor did they get to pick where they were going sit during the movie. He had picked out positions for them: Loki's head in his lap and Thor's resting on his shoulder. Thor curled up into his position without protest, his hand resting on Gast's leg. If the younger brother turned his head fractionally he could see it. There was a hand running through his hair gently, playing with a few strands. Occasionally it would run down to his neck and he would shiver.

The movie was actually pretty good. Gast enjoyed it most of all, laughing loudly and making running commentary over it. Loki nervously made a few quips too, and earned a playful ruffling of his hair. Thor laughed and snorted through the movie, but didn't say  
anything more.

They were just in the middle of the third act when the crew arrived, tramping in like a noisy herd of elephants. He couldn't help but feel cheated out of the peaceful  
moment, as well as the old mistrust of the large gang. He tried to push up off the couch, in hopes that Gast would let him go to their room, but he was pulled back. A small patronizing slap was given to his nose, like he was a cat who had scratched in the middle of playing. The fingers barely in his eye line moved closer, the movement reassuring.

"You interrupted our movie!" Gast said, sounding less annoyed and more amused as the group took up position around him. No one made a move to sit near Loki or Thor. They knew better than to touch the Grandmaster's boys without permission.

"Sorry, Grandmaster," one of group said. "We just got back doing that thing at the airport. Like yah wanted us to."

"Did you now? Send it off alright?" His attention turned to one of the younger members of the crew. He was a blonde well-built man with a serious personality. It had taken him a long time to catch on that he was supposed to laugh when the Grandmaster told a 'joke'. Even now, lounging in one of the large plush chairs, he looked out of place. His back was too straight and his eyes seemed too focused on looking in one direction.

The blonde grunted. "Yeah it's sent."

"At least the part that could ship. This is fourth attempt and I had to scale back the size of it."

A shrug.

"Hmmm." The Grandmaster's hand left Loki's hair and tapped his chin in that thoughtful manner he got sometimes. He stood, nearly sending the young man that was in his lap to the floor. Thor reached out and pulled Loki closer to him. The air of the room was shifting. They both recognized it. Something was happening.

"Anthony was your name, right?"

A grunt.

"Anthony, you were there the first time the ship failed."

"Yeah. Bad scene."

"It definitely was a 'bad scene', Anthony. Anthony, you were there for the second time too?"

"Yeah. Was the one who spotted the cops."

"One of the ones, Anthony. Other people saw them too, Anthony. A cop is pretty easy to spot when you're in this line of work, Anthony."

Anthony began to twist in his seat. "Half a dozen guys were on those jobs."

"You're right, Anthony. A lot of my best guys were on those jobs, Anthony. Lost a few last time, Anthony. And I was assured, Anthony, that this time the police wouldn't be there. Assured by you, Anthony."

The Grandmaster snapped his fingers and someone handed him a thick folder and his reading glasses. This had been planned in advance. Like so many things the Grandmaster did. He tutted his way through the folder, the blonde suddenly being aware that most of the room was staring at him, inching closer. He gripped the sides of his seat and kept looking for an exit.

Loki gripped Thor's hand. He wanted to go back to their room. He wanted to go back to before, to watching the movie. The movie was still playing, a weird soundtrack to what was happening. He tried to focus on that but his eyes were drawn back every time.

"Maximoff," Gast over-pronounced the name. 'Anthony' went white as a ghost. "That name ring a bell?"

There was no reply. He barely spoke after that. He especially didn't talk after they removed his tongue, the movie still looping in the background.

"Look at how you are distressing my Lo Lo!" Gast jeered at the mutilated man as Loki vomited.

It was Thor who finally killed the man. "He'll die one way or another, Sparkles. Just a quick squeeze of the finger. I'll give you two a treat if you do it. Do you want a week away from me? Just you and Lo Lo? Well one quick squeeze...and I'll make it happen."

They did get their week away from him. And some money to spend however they wish. Thor spent half of their free week in bed, having nightmares. He would wake crying like a child. Loki held him through the nights he was sober enough to be of any use.

It was the first time either of them truly wished for their Grandmaster to return to them. They were nearly in tears when he returned. They spent two weeks in his bed, sober and nightmare-free.


	8. Chapter 8

~2015~

It was the giggling and laughter that tipped Thor off as to what had happened.

He entered the penthouse from his time overseeing the latest shipment of knockoff purses and handbags that the minor cronies were going to flog to a party-like  
atmosphere. Naturally, his eye was first drawn to the Grandmaster, sitting in his favorite chair and leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. Mario and a few other of the other lieutenants were sitting in the semi-circle of chairs and couches that made up the seating area. And on the floor, naked as the day he was born, was Loki.

Loki spotted him first and enthusiastically threw out his hands, nearly toppling onto his face. "THOR!"

The Grandmaster and his crew swung their heads around to see him and echoed the chorus of, "THOR!" but in a mocking tone. They laughed as the younger man tried to stand and kept falling back, making no move to help or cover him.

"Hey," he responded simply, approaching the group as slowly as possible. Most of the men on the couch had drinks in their hands and Mario was smoking a cigar. On the coffee table was the family tell-tale signs: a small baggie of green shards and a small pipe. He grimaced.

"You're home!" Loki giggled. His eyes were wide and unfocused. He kept licking his lips, obliviously feeling they were too dry.

"Yeah." He turned to the Grandmaster. "He's high, isn't he?"

Gast laughed,"Oh Sparkles, nothing gets past you!" He tweaked Thor's nose. Loki tried to mimic him, but nearly poked out his eye.

"He's been trying to stay sober."

"Oh, you're no fun! Lo Lo, Sparkles is no fun!"

Lo Lo rolled on the floor. "The carpet is so soft!"

"Would you like to feel the carpet too, sweetheart?"

"Come feel the carpet with me!"

"I've only been gone 12 hours," Thor said, electing to sit directly on the edge of the coffee table. It creaked under his weight but he didn't care.

"We needed to test the new batch," Mario said simply. "New recipe. Get out the old stuff. This stuff needs to be club ready."

"You could have tried it yourself," he pointed out through ground teeth.

"Now, now. None of that," Grandmaster soothed. "Lo's been mopey lately and I thought this would cheer him up. Look how happy he is!"

"Why is he naked?"

"I was so hot," Loki explained, flopping his head into Thor's lap. He shivered. "I'm getting cold now."

Thor noticed immediately, once his little brother was closer what else had happened while he was away: the swollen and redness of Loki's lips and the lingering scent of sweat. They had used him. They had probably filmed it. He'd probably see it tomorrow; the Grandmaster loved to brag. He shook his head.

"How long has he been gone?"

"Oh don't worry, Sparkles! He's just a little bit high! You can join him, if you wish."

"No." He said it a little too firmly so he amended it, "No thank you. I don't like being high."

"I'm really cold now," the brunette whined, curling into himself.

"Grandmaster," Thor leaned in close, even batting his eyelashes for effect,

"Loki is already coming down. You know how he gets when he comes down."

Grandmaster pulled a face at that. "Yes, I know." His eyes fell on his other boy, who was now curled up in a ball, shivering. "You doing okay, Lo Lo?"

"I'm really cold," he repeated, blinking away a few tears.

Gast shook his head. "Take him to your room. I better not see him for at least an hour or so. Until he's sober."

Thor nodded. He stood and leaned over and kissed the older man, a genuine thank you for allowing him to care for his brother before scooping up the shivering younger man. Tomorrow he and Loki would be invited into the large bed of the master bedroom. But tonight, they would sleep alone. Well, not sleep.

The room he and Loki shared, no matter the penthouse, was not a luxurious one. It was a maid's room, a standard hotel room built into the three story palace-like homes of the Grandmaster. The same abstract duvet and simple cotton sheets covered their simple queen sized bed. They had a desk and spare chair. It even had television, a simple flatscreen that was on the same channel listing as the rest of the hotel. Occasionally, they received permission to watch a movie, ordering it from the guide, or ordering from the menu on the room service part of the guide. They had never been trusted with a phone that wasn't their cellphones.

They had a small bathroom, again very standard for the typical hotel room. Thor entered it now, still carrying Loki. He gently put him down into the tub and tenderly kissed Loki's forehead.

"I'm really cold!" He was crying now, tears rolling down his face. "I want out! I'm cold!"

"Ssshhh, Loki you need to sober up. Focus on m-"

"I'M COLD!!" Loki struggled to get up and nearly hit his head falling back.

Thor shook his head sadly and turned on the water of the shower. Once the water hit him, the younger man began to writhe. Screaming, scratching, cursing, kicking, he did it all. He sobbed as he was pushed back into the lukewarm spray.

"STOP IT! LET ME GO! I WANT OUT!"

"LOKI!" Thor gripped the other's head gently, and forced him to look at him. His eyes were still swimming in and out of focus but they were more alert than before. "Loki, you have to come back to me."

The younger shook his head. "Y-you're mad at me."

"No, no, never. I should have been here."

"Y-you w-would have gotten in t-trouble."

"I don't care. I needed to be here. For you. For my....," he rubbed the tattoo on Loki's left shoulder, a half moon and sun. He couldn't bring himself to say the word.

Loki nervously reached out and rubbed Thor's shoulder as well, where his own tattoo of a similar design was. He only nodded. He understood.

~2019~

"They cleared the brat out of Strange's place by the time we got there," Mario was saying. "They're going to shuffle him around."

"Hmmm," Gast paced back and forth slowly. The fact he wasn't too worried about this spoke volumes. "Maybe I should have sent Sparkles to see to this."

Thor sipped his beer and said nothing. The longer that Loki was away, the safer he was. Yet, he wasn't safe, was he? Without Thor? Without Grandmaster?! Was he staying clean? Was he comfortable? Did he have enough to eat? Was he sick? Was he scared? Was he talking to the police?

He wanted his brother back! He wanted him to stay safe. He wanted his lover back! He wanted him to be free. He wanted his....


	9. Chapter 9

Since Loki had begun giving evidence, he had become anxious. Well, more anxious than usual. And being moved hadn't helped. He had thrown a fit when they had placed him in the car, demanding to stay. He had sobbed in the back until they reached Val's small house in the suburbs.

"It's only temporary," Val explained to him. She had had to repeat this once again to her wife, Carol.

"He looks terrified!" the blonde woman hissed as they looked out the window to the back garden where Loki was idly milling around, smoking a cigarette. "You really think you guys are going to get him to testify?"

"He's stronger than he looks."

That wasn't just words; Loki had witnessed and been a part of several of the Grandmaster's schemes and still understood right from wrong and had survived. Even Strange admitted for all the two steps forward one step back of therapy, things could have been a hell of a lot worse.

The young man found a week of peace at Val's home. Stark didn't call asking him to give more evidence and Strange and his tape recorder only came to talk about his current mood, now that he had finally agreed to proper therapy. Carol and the twins absolutely found him a delight, telling Val at every turn how he was witty and charming. He even helped clean out the garage during his stay.

Val wished her week had been just as easy. While Loki staying in her home would be fine for a week, any longer would put her and her family at risk. Most of the usual department safehouses were in the city, which presented the opportunity for either discovery or worse. Tony and Strange had dangled the idea of putting him in Bellevue, but that had been turned down flatly. They could not be sure if anyone from an orderly to a member of the board was on Gast's take. Hela had offered to take him to her townhouse in Albany, but when she confessed she was leaving for DC for three to four weeks, that was rejected. There was only one other possibility.

"No."

Odin was a brilliant attorney. He had been a brilliant soldier. He was a generous philanthropist. His name was constantly being bandied about when it came time to select a new attorney general or DOJ director. His office was a showcase of awards, metals, and photos of him with his famous clients. Behind his desk was a large oil painting of himself and his late wife, dressed splendidly in their best evening wear. But it didn't escape either Val or Bruce's notice he didn't have a single picture of his daughter and sons.

"No," the older man repeated from behind his desk. "I will not take some jumped up thug into my home."

"He's your son!" Bruce said incredulously.

"He's the son of a friend. I wanted to hand him over to his other family but his birth mother and my wife convinced me to take him in. And look how that turned out."

Val shook her head. "Sir, I don't for one second believe that."

"Believe what you want. I'm not having him in my house."

"So what?! If he can't find a place you understand he's as good as dead, right? Fifty-fifty chance Gast just kills him. Either that or gets another ten years of torture, rape, and trauma!"

To his credit, Odin could not stare at either as he shrugged.

"Regardless whether or not if he's your blood, this is your son! Your other son is still in danger and Loki is killing himself trying to help him, in any way he can!"

"My ACTUAL son was kidnapped with the help of that addict. I don't see why I should lift a finger to help him."

Bruce shook leaned over the massive desk, his voice tight. "You think what now?"

"Loki was on and off drugs since he was sixteen. Marijuana mostly, but we did find him with that Sakaar stuff," Odin shrugged as though it was obvious. "It was the belief of several of my private investigators that he ran up a debt and helped kidnap my son to make up for it."

"Did your private investigators talk to Fandral? Anyone in that bar that night?!"

The old man did not meet his eye.

"Did your private investigators ever get to talk to Loki in person?"

No reply.

"For the last few weeks, we've gotten a front row seat to all the goddamn misery your SONS have been through. From being forced to have sex at gunpoint to beaten within an inch of their lives. Having to make the decision whether or not to compromise  
their morals for a day of peace was worth helping a madman. Your daughter has been doing her damndest to help, but she can only do so much! Maybe you should actually step up and help too! Or do you actually not give a damn?!"

"What did Frigga think of what your PIs found?"

Odin seemed to bristle at the mention of his late wife before softening. His voice was soft and filled with sadness as he spoke. "She never believed them. She would never leave me, but she may have well done after that after the last report I received. Never quite forgave me. She always hoped they would return. That they would turn up on our doorstep, safe and whole. Even at the end....," he wiped a tear from his remaining eye.

"Your sons," Val pressed gently, "wanted so much to see her at the hospital before she passed. Loki says they fought like hell for that right. Think about that; being denied saying goodbye. It's all they wanted. Imagine finding out on the evening news that she  
died. They were a few blocks away and they couldn't do anything. They wanted to be there for her. They wanted to be there for Hela. For you."

The old man's face was red, but not from anger. He wiped his face and loudly sniffed. "W-where is he?"

"He's staying at my home. I can bring him here tomorr-"

"Today. I want him here today," Odin said gruffly regaining composure. "And this Strange-"

"Dr. Strange," Bruce corrected, still excited at their achievement.

"Yes, him. I want him to come along. I want him to recommend a nurse or psychologist to live on site. One that can stay through the trial."

"Of course!"

"And a security guard."

"I think you'll need an entire team, to be honest."

"One should suffice."

~2017~

"And we implore you, Oh Most High God, to take your servant Frigga into your Kingdom. So she may enjoy the Resurrection on that wonderful day-"

Loki gripped Thor's hand and looked at the large picture of Frigga. She was beautifully smiling at them, the photo taken at one of her numerous charity events. There had been a collage back at the church of more personal family photos. He had nearly collapsed seeing the last picture he and Thor had taken with her on her birthday before they were kidnapped. Her bright silly face as she let them blow out her candles. He could still remember her taking a finger and swiping some frosting on Thor's nose affectionately.

He squeezed his brother's hand harder.

There was a slight buzzing from the older brother's pocket and they both grimaced. Even here, at the burial of their Mother, they couldn't get away.

Thor fished the phone out of his pocket. There was a small mercy they had not been able to sit near Hela, her family, and Odin. They probably would never live down the stares of disappointment.

'Master <3: How much longer? Miss u 2'

He showed the message to Loki who turned back to the burial ceremony. "Just a little longer. Please?"

Thor nodded and quickly typed out, 'Maybe hour. Reallllllllly long family stuff'.

The casket was finally being lowered, the priest intoning one final blessing. Hela's daughter threw a rose onto the deep mahogany box before being pulled back. A woman from one of the theater groups Frigga had funded began to sing. A few people moved forward to sprinkle dirt onto casket.

The phone vibrated again.

'Master <3: u boys better not b staying for the reception. We got food @ home!'

'Master <3: come back. Need my boys'

"Loki," Thor nudged him gently. "One more text and wecan be in trouble."

"I want to say goodbye!" He was whining, and a few people in front of them looked around.

'Loki wants 2 stay. Please?'

The response was quick.

"What did he say?"

"He says we can stay as long as we want if we agree to spend a few nights with him in his room. For comfort."

Loki wiped his face with the back of his hand. Their bodies were a small price to pay to stay a little longer. Thor wholeheartedly agreed.


	10. Chapter 10

~2011~

The senator was drunk when he finally came into the room. Not too drunk though, unfortunately. He had a long thin nose that reminded Loki of Pinocchio and short grubby hands. One of those hands now slid over his chest and along the silk of the chemise he wore.

"Don't you look like a peach," the man breathed, his southern accent thick.

"Thank you," was all the young man could think to say. He wanted to be high for this. But Thor had hidden his works and Grandmaster had said he would give him more after this. If he was good. So he had to be good.

"How old are you, Darlin'?"

"Sixteen." The lie was simple. He did look young for his age and he just had to say it loud enough.

"Just a tender thing," the man mused as he reached out and tugged at one of young man's nipples through the outfit. Loki gasped and the senator laughed. "You like that, Darlin'?"

"Yes." Again the lie came easily.

The man pushed Loki back onto the massive bed. There was a mirror on the ceiling and he could see himself reflected: the makeup, the gaudy pink lingerie, and look of terror in his eyes as the man roamed over his body. The man didn't seem to mind that last part. He was too busy enjoying the first two.

He tried to spend more time scientifically picking apart what was happening than being present. The Grandmaster always insisted on him being 'there' for their sessions. Even when Loki was not the focus of his attention, he wanted him to stay alert. Not to wander into himself. It was hard to do that anyways; Grandmaster had his ways. But for all that, it was his pleasure that came first. Not necessarily an orgasm, but pleasure. His pleasure could be painful. It could be gentle. It could be cruel. It could be almost loving.  
It could be merciful. But it was his pleasure.

Thor was different. Once they had began to comfort one another, Loki had found the other to be loving and sweet. Often he had to be reassured he wasn't hurting the younger. Sometimes he stopped their sessions short, too scared to continue. But it was Loki's pleasure and comfort that came first. Each touch was a small sign of love. Each kiss, nip, and thrust was a promise of protection and comfort. Afterwards, they would hold one another and whisper together in the dark. They would pretend they were back in the dorms. That they were just roommates who fell for one another, a gentle work of fiction to erase every bit of their past and start fresh. They made up complaints of fake professors and coworkers that they had had to 'deal with' that day. They would teasingly ask when they were going to be introduced to their parents. Sometimes Thor would pretend they were going home the next day. That they had flown in and just staying at a hotel. Loki would wake up the mornings after these nights and cry anew at remembering that it was just a game.

The senator seemed not to have any such cares. He sent a long time on Loki's nipples, sucking and tweaking through the fabric. He didn't seem to care when he finally moved down to his lower half to find him soft. Loki closed his eyes when he began to dryly prep him. He wanted to be high. To drift away. To be somewhere blissfully above this.

"Well, well," the familiar voice said as Gast entered the room. The rest of his crew filed in, Thor with them. It took every bit of self restraint he possessed not to jump into his brother's arms. Thor was staring at a point just beyond Loki's left ear, trying not to take in what had been happening.

"OH! M-Mr. G-Gast!" The senator tried to stand but nearly tripped over himself. "I was just, uhm, praying over this fine boy."

"Praying, hmmm?" Grandmaster could barely contain his mirth. "Was he praying over you, Lo Lo?"

Loki wasn't sure if he should respond, but he shook his head, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Doesn't seem like any prayers I remember," Mario said.

"Especially from what was on the camera."

The senator paled. "C-c-camera?" He squeaked.

"Yes, we have a c-c-camera!" Grandmaster laughed. "With audio. It's one thing to sleep with an underage boy and not know they were underage, but to ask?!" He tutted.

"N-now Mr. Gast," the man waved a finger at the other man. "See her-"

"Grandmaster. From here on end, you will call me Grandmaster. Well in private. Whatever you call me in front of your 'Family First, Traditional Marriage' crowd I really don't care. But as long as we do business together, we should call each other by our appropriate titles. Me, Grandmaster. You, the senator who got drunk at one of my parties and hired an underage male prostitute."

"Gast- I mean Grandmaster, let's be reasonable!"

"I am being very reasonable. I'll let you even finish with him after we're discussing what I want."

Loki jerked a little in fear. That had not been mentioned at all. Thor looked up too, his eyes looking Loki completely in the face. Neither of them had planned for this. But if they broke character now, what would happen? Would they both be punished? Would only Loki be punished? And if so, would Thor be the one hurt? They'd probably be separated. For how long? The longest had been ten days, but they  
were constantly told it could be longer. Loki shivered involuntarily at the thought.

The senator seemed, however, not to really care anymore about 'the boy'. He was desperately trying to keep a hold of his dignity. The Grandmaster waved him out the door, instructing that he be shown to his parlor and be given a cup of coffee.

Once it was just the three of them, Gast and his boys, he turned to Loki smiling. "Wasn't that fun, Lo Lo?"

"D-do I have to still....," he nervously shifted on the bed.

"It would be rude not to. You're all dolled up for him." Grandmaster allowed his hand to stroke Loki's cheek.

"I-I could be dolled up for you," Loki said, leaning into the touch. There was only one way back to his and Thor's room.

"Really?! And leave Sparkles all alone!" He turned to Thor. "That isn't nice, is it? Come here so we can play before I have to go and talk to the Good Ol' Boy."

Thor moved closer to the bed. Their eyes met. It was easier now to do this. They understood one another. And they understood him.

~2019~

Loki poked at the pasta on his plate. Hela had left to go home and see her family before she headed to DC and Odin had taken dinner in his home office. Val and the gaggle of cops and ADAs she always seemed to bring along had not come by that day, allowing the family 'some quality time'. Even Strange had been absent. Eating alone in the large dining room seemed silly and absurd, but he didn't feel welcome in the kitchen anymore.

He pushed away from the table. He picked up his plate and moved to the large living room. All of his and Thor's video games from ten years ago had been packed up and moved or given away to Hela's family. Most of the family photos that smiled down at him were of his niece and nephew, children he hardly knew. He blinked away tears.

He switched the television on and flicked through the channels before he found the one he had been looking for. It was a late night talk show, the host overly jovial and always laughing at his own jokes. His guest was also smiling.

"So there I am, in the middle of my own restaurant-"

"Oh my god!"

"And this senator....Senator Jeffreys starts saying 'You neva been here?! Why the steak is great an'-'"

"He's pitching you your own restaurant at you?!"

"Yes! And all I can think is, 'I guess I have to try the steak!'"

The host slaps his desk as he laughs. Gast throws up his hands as the audience roars. Loki giggled softly to himself in the dark.


	11. Chapter 11

"Loki?"

"Up here."

Val walked up the large staircase followed closely by Tony and Strange. They were fairly certain they were close to having enough evidence to arrest and charge Gast. The DA was chomping at the bit for the case to move forward and so was the State Attorney. There was a reluctance on the Federal level, but no one was sure whether that was politically corruption or simply because the entire case rested on Loki. And Loki wasn't exactly a star witness.

Over the past weeks, he had admitted that he and his brother had ran drug operations for Sakaar, helped pay off and intimidate witnesses, and had been involved in a few murders. Naturally, while this all could be explained with the two being forced, everyone knew that the Defense in whatever trial came to pass would have a field day. That was, if Loki testified.

Today, they found him in a bedroom in Odin's large estate home. He was sitting on the beige carpet, holding a book in his hands. He didn't look up when they entered, his eyes fixed on the book.

"He lost this," he said simply before they could speak. "He left it here a few weeks before we...left. He searched the entire apartment and couldn't find it. It was a library book and..." Loki shook his head.

"So uhm, this is Thor's room," Strange asked gently. Val had to hide a snort. The room was filled with old sport trophies and medals. Photos of the older brother smiling with former classmates and presumably old girlfriends and boyfriends were pinned to a cork board behind a metal desk. The closet was slightly ajar and one could see gym shoes and several plaid shirts poking out. From all they had learned about Loki, this room most certainly did not fit him.

The brunette shrugged. "They kept it just like he left it. They even put out his laundry he had left behind."

"Why aren't you in your room?"

"After M-mom passed, I guess Dad felt...he needed the space."

"Shit," Tony hissed under his breath.

"It's fine, really," Loki tossed the book to the side. "Whether or not I got kidnapped, Dad would have changed out my room for a new office or trophy room or parlor or even a pool room. He was already planning it when I packed my things for college, but Mom told him to wait a year or so. Guess I got a few years reprieve."

"We all process grief differently," Strange began before being cut off.

"I WASN'T DEAD! I WAS JUST AS ALIVE AS THOR!" He glared at them, his eyes red and shining with tears. "HE NEVER... no one ever...only Mom and Thor..." He hugged himself, still defiantly staring at them. "You don't even really care about me, do you?"

"Of course we do, kid," Stark leaned in from where he was sitting on the worn out leather computer kid. "We're trying to make this as painless as possible."

"You're trying to build a case. Once the trial is over, I'm just an old witness. You won't care anymore. Hell, once I stop giving evidence, I'll probably stop seeing you altogether won't I?" He turned to Strange. "I'm a client to you. A patient. You're paid to care about me. But you're expensive. Dad won't like that. You'll be gone soon. Probably once he," pointed at Tony, "tries to bill him. Oh, if it was Thor, you'd probably be so well paid that you wouldn't need to take on a new client. But not for me. Not the fucked up adopted kid."

"What about me, Loki?" Val asked.

He met the challenge head on. "You said it yourself! You did 'wrong' by me and now you're trying to make it right! Well, guess what?! You can't! What's done is done! It worked out for the best for you. You rose through the ranks! I don't know what else you want or need besides a clear conscience, but you don't need me!"

"Is that why you left this morning? And yesterday? Because you feel no one cares?"

He shrugged. "I went for a walk."

"Walks usually don't involve cabs into the city."

"Mine do."

"Kid-"

"He loved me, you know? He cared." Loki laid back onto the floor, stretching and running his fingers through his hair. It was almost a seduction gesture the way, as he dreamily stared past them. "He always said I was the prettiest. He liked when we slept in his bed to have me sleep in between him and Thor. We could make him happy. He used to come home in the foulest moods, and we'd cheer him up. He was so funny, he could make us laugh. I remember," he giggled, "I remember one time Thor asked if we could have a puppy. Thor always wanted a puppy. And Grandmaster said, 'Sparkles, why do you want a puppy when you have an old hound dog like me?' And he got down on his hands and knees and crawled around barking and sniffing and growling at us. And then two days later, we got a puppy! One time, I got really really sick. I had a fever and I could barely stay awake. He held me on his lap and spoon fed me soup for two days. He and Thor would help me bathe and change my clothes. When my fever broke he nearly cried."

"Loki, he-"

"LOVED ME!" He sat up eyes focused and furious.

"He kidnapped and raped you!"

"Valkyrie!"

"What are the four of you doing in here?!" Odin was at the doorway, not daring to enter. Behind him was the security he had hired, a gruff man with a scarlet mohawk. The man had a permanent smirk and seemed to enjoy a cop, an ADA, and a psychiatrist being yelled at.

"We were gathering-" Tony began but was cut off.

"Not in this room! Never in this room. You may use my office or the guest room. As we discussed, didn't we Loki."

Loki stood, slowly. He pulled out his cellphone, a simple smartphone that he had managed to find a neon blue and yellow cover for, and checked something. He barely looked any of them in the eye. "Yes, Father."

Odin nodded and glared at them as they filed out. He slammed the door to the room and watched as they paraded downstairs before turning and leaving, the security guard left behind to watch them with a smug smirk on his face.

"Uhm," Tony nervously shifted foot to foot. "As much as I love feeling like a naughty middle schooler again, you think you're up to talking today or are we going to have more emotional outbursts."

"I have to talk," Loki finally looked up from his phone, putting it away. "It's either that or get kicked out."

"Two steps forward, one massive fucking step back," Strange whispered to Val. She nodded her agreement. Her eyes went up to the security guard who grinned broadly at her, showing a row of crooked teeth that reminded her vaguely of a shark's mouth.

~2016~

"Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!"

Loki rubbed his eye as he entered the kitchen area of the penthouse. "I'm old!"

Grandmaster dramatically gasped. "Old?! My Lo Lo?! Never!"

"I am. I'm twenty five. Quarter of a century."

"Fuck, the hell am I than? Ancient?" Thor asked as he threw a towel over his shoulder. "How do you want your eggs?"

"Fried or poached," Grandmaster quipped only to be swatted by another towel.

"Doc says egg whites for you. I was asking Loki."

"Poached please."

"I swear to god if you give him one of your eggs-"

Loki stuck out his tongue. "It's my birthday!"

Thor threw up his hands and turned back to the stove, loudly grumbling.

Gast chuckled, winking at the younger, leaning over the island he was sitting at to kiss him. He accepted it gladly, throwing his arms around the other. "So, you get a choice. Open your gifts now or wait until this evening at Pimpernel."

"We're going to Pimpernel?! For my birthday?!"

"Of course!"

"You act like he doesn't take us anywhere!" Thor called over his shoulder. "If you recall we went to Scarcella's for my birthday."

"Quit bragging, Sparkles and finish breakfast."

"I want my present now!" Loki bounced on the tips of his toes.

"Alright, alright sweetheart. One moment." Grandmaster slowly stood. He adjusted his tan bathrobe and leisurely walked back to his bedroom, humming and singing all the way.

Once he was gone, Loki raced to Thor's side. "Do you know what it is?"

The older shrugged as he cracked several eggs into a pot of boiling water.

"Come on! There's no way he didn't run it by you!"

"I have been sworn to secrecy."

"Asshole! Tell me!"

"Hey, what's all this!?" Grandmaster had returned, holding a packet of papers.

"He's grilling me for information!"

"Lo Lo!" It was said in a mock scandalised voice.

He stamped his foot and pouted. They always said he was cute when he pouted. Thor seemed now to agree because he leaned over and kissed him.

"Just go see. You'll like it." He whispered, rubbing their noses together.

"What about your present?" the younger brother whispered into the other's lips.

"In a minute. Go see."

He walked back to the Grandmaster who smiled as he presented the packet of papers to him. He had barely opened them when the older man proclaimed,

"A trip to London! Three weeks, with all the museums and tourist traps you can imagine. And, yes, a trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tour!"

Loki's eyes swelled with tears. "Really?! We're going? When?"

"In two weeks. You two will need to pick out a new wardrobe. So prep for a trip to the shops!"

He squealed and nearly knocked over Thor plating the food. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Before he could reply, the Grandmaster's cell rang. He kissed both his boys and left the room again, this time with no singing or frivolity. Business call, then.

"Y'know we're only going because he has business there, right?"

"I know, but think of all the places we can see! And no one knows us there!" Loki curled into Thor's side. "We can be...us there. We can actually wear them!" He rubbed Thor's shoulder where the sun and moon tattoo was just visible where his shirt slipped down. "And he might be too busy to notice!"

He could feel Thor grinning as he hugged him close, kissing the matching tattoo on his body. "Yeah. That would be nice."

"What about your present?"

"I sketched it two nights ago. I may have been drunk so it could look like shit..."

"Show me!"

The blonde shook his head but took out his phone and showed the sketch of the rose tattoo he had been working on. "Still want it for your hip, right? And you wanted to look like Tyrell sigil?"

"Or my other thigh."

"Well this is only part one of it. Still need to sketch out the other sigils too."

"I know."

"You may have to wait for-"

"I know."

"Alright, back!" Gast re-entered the kitchen. "Doesn't that look fantastic."

"Your doctor is going to kill me for letting you have yolk and bacon."

"Oh don't worry, Sparkles. I won't let anything happen to my boys."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Written before author was aware of JK Rowling's transphobia.


	12. Chapter 12

"Stop pacing. You're making me nauseous," Bruce said through mouthfuls of his sandwich.

"You're not nervous?!" Val looked at him incredulously. "I mean this could all blow up in our face."

"It won't. All those hours of tape, connecting with evidence the department has been gathering for years. She'd have to be an idiot-"

"Or on Gast's dime."

"Well it would be easy enough to spot, wouldn't it. As soon as she starts pressing to know where Loki is, BAM, we know."

Val chewed her thumbnail. Today was the day. The day they tested whether or not the Grandmaster could be arrested, charged, and brought to trial. It hadn't been easy. Loki had again slipped into one of his melancholy moods and again accused them of not caring. It had taken a bit of convincing and even painfully working Odin into one of his therapy sessions to get him to get back on track. Not that the old man was a hundred percent helpful. Most of that session had been about Frigga and Thor, not about their relationship. But they had to take what they could get. The younger man was right about one thing: the case did come first.

Bruce and Val had escorted the evidence from the department to the courthouse; four massive plastic tubs and several cases of written out evidence stored away. Natasha and Tony had brought a condensed and edited together version of Loki's testimony, several parts redacted for therapy reasons, as well as transcripts. Strange had his own written notes, quickly scrawled together bits and pieces from offhand comments from his patient. The judge had been most impressed, if not somewhat overwhelmed. She had quickly booted Strange, Bruce, and Val from the room and allowed the two attorneys to argue their case.

The doctor had left after that. No matter the outcome, he needed to be there for Loki. The detectives had stayed behind, only leaving at one point to race to a nearby deli for food and race back.

"We're losing daylight. If Gast gets wind of this, he'll just fucking leave. With Thor. You know that! Hope a plane and just fuck off!"

Bruce nodded. "But who the fuck is going to tell him. We can't even call for backup until we get the thumbs up."

"I know, but he's got eyes everywhere. I fucking had to pretend to have an affair with Hela for seven years just so I could update her safely and to see if he had contacted the family. I wouldn't put it past him to-"

The door to the judge's chambers swung open. Natasha raced out, skidding to a halt in front of them. Tears were in her eyes and a smile was fighting to break out on her face. "We got'em. We got the greenlight."

Bruce jumped up, dropping his sandwich to the ground. "You fucking serious?!"

She nodded, wiping her hand along her mouth as the grin finally won. "Go now! She's doing this without her clerks because she doesn't know if they're clean or not. Go!"

They didn't need to be told twice.

~~~~

Gast was easy enough to track down. Like many other celebrities, famous and infamous alike, his presence at any given spot attracted social media attention. It took one Twitter search and a phone call to confirm. Almost poetically, he was at Lillie Melt, the same restaurant that had once employed Loki and Thor.

He was in a far back booth, surrounded by his usual entourage. To his left was Thor, smiling over a cup of wine but his eyes never really focusing on anything. He did seem however to quickly catch onto them as they came forward, with their small posse of uniformed officers. He was the one who turned and whispered something into Gast's ear. That made the older man look up from his salmon.

"Ah! New York's finest!" He dabbed his lips and smiled, clapping and waving them over. "I'm sorry, it looks like we don't have much room for you!"

"That's alright. We weren't here to eat," Val quipped.

"En Dwi Gast, you're under arrest for murder, theft, assault, racketeering, intimidation, illegal gambling-" Bruce read out.

"Whoah now," Gast laughed. "That's quite the list!"

"He's not even done!"

"-rape and kidnapping-"

"If you would step out of the booth, sir."

"I can't even finish my dinner!"

"Now, if you would."

Gast quirked an eyebrow at that but nodded to the group. "No harm going just to get this all cleared up. Call Topaz and my lawyer. This shouldn't take more than a day or so."

"Now!"

"Bossy girls don't get what they want any faster," he tutted at her. He turned to Thor. The blonde young man looked so much like his brother at that moment, scared and memorized at the Grandmaster. "Daddy has to go away for a bit but he's going to be back soon. You don't go anywhere, sweetheart."

"You promise?" Thor's voice was small, almost childish.

"I do. And then we can see about that new workout bike. For those gorgeous legs of yours."

The group finally filed out of the booth letting Gast slide out. He stood, a little taller than Val had originally thought and thinner. He did have a charming smile as Bruce slapped the cuffs on him.

"Oh this is going to be fun!"

"I couldn't agree more."


	13. Chapter 13

They had had to restrain Tony when the judge put Gast under house arrest. "YOU'RE LETTING HIM GO HOME TO THE FUCKING FOUR SEASONS!"

Without missing a beat the Grandmaster had quipped, "The Four Seasons? Might as well book myself a night at the Motel 6 right outside the airport!" The courthouse had erupting into laughter and the sound of cameras snapping was heard. On the steps outside, the older man had turned the questions of the reporters into a sideshow attraction, going so far as to wave and blow a kiss towards Stark and Natasha.

"Bastard," the female ADA had growled before the press descended on them to interview them as well.

Back at their office they had several missed phone calls from Strange.

"I can't keep him from the television! He's watching all the coverage! And Odin's not helping! Every TV in this goddamn house is turned to watching him!"

"Well that's your department! It's not like I can stop the TV from covering Gast."

"What about a gag order?!"

"We could try it."

They failed. The Grandmaster's lawyer was quick to argue that Gast was a public figure. With all the businesses he owned, several of which relied on his 'personality', denying him the press would be tantamount to stripping of his possessions and livelihood. The old judge had nodded along with the argument as Tony and Val added him to growing list of 'on the take'.

The next day, the media blitz began. It began in the morning with calls into radio shows and a few live podcasts. Gast described his 'prison' in detail, the 'ludicrous' notion being under house arrest in a hotel, and promoted several events in several of his venues. "Someone has to go and tell me how it is!"

Then came the interviews.

"We're sitting here in the penthouse suites of the Gladiator Hotel with En Dwi Gast, also known as the Grandmaster. Gast had been accused of being the ruthless leader of the Sakaar mob family. But, the entrepreneur and business mogul says there is another side to the story. What is that side of the story?"

"I am being harassed and discriminated against by the State of New York and the New York City district attorney."

"You can't be fucking serious?" Val said in disbelief, nearly dropping her coffee.

"Discriminated against?" the reporter asked, leaning in interest.

"I am a successful openly pansexual man in a polyamorous relationship with two other men. Who are brothers. And younger than me! I've upset the apple cart. The social order. It maybe 2019, but the DA and Governor wishes it was 1819." He spread his arms out wide and looked directly into the camera. "I'm here. I'm queer. Get used to it."

"Fuck you," Bruce called to the TV. Turning to Tony, he asked, "You seriously can't do anything about that?! We got a lesbian cop who's been on this case for nine years, and not once was his sexuality mentioned! He's a rapist, no matter his fucking orientation."

"We could leak to the press that one of his 'boyfriends' is his accuser."

"That might work!"

It didn't.

"What is your version, Thor, of how you and En met?"

"It's sorta cliche." The blonde went slightly pink as he chuckled.

"Nothing about you, Sweetheart, is chiche!"

"Loki and I were at a bar, and this guy buys us a few drinks. I-we keep thinking he's buying them for both of us because he wants to bang one of us but he doesn't want to break the other one's heart. That's when this old sly dog leans across the table and bold as you please ask if we want a three way."

"With your brother?"

"Adopted brother. And it turned out to be the best nights I've ever had. And come to find out, not only is the guy rich-"

"Oh I have spoiled you-"

"But he's my soulmate. Or one of my soulmates. A third of my whole." Thor leaned against Gast's shoulder and smiled as the older man planted a kiss to his temple.

"I am going to vomit." Tony said shaking his head in disbelief.

"What do you say to the fact that it's being reported that it's Loki, your other umm...significant other...who is your accuser?"

Gast dramatically shook his head. His eyes became red and puffy, and large fat tears appeared at the corners. "I'm sorry, can I have a minute?" The reporters nodded as Thor leaned over and rubbed the older man's back whispering sweet words right  
the chest microphone he had been given. There was some loud sniffing as the video cut to several pictures of the Grandmaster smiling with Thor and Loki, kissing them and cuddling with them at several of his events. "Loki," his voice was thick with emotion, "is being manipulated and I wish he would just come home. He's a recovering addict, and even though Thor and I have been trying to keep him clean, we've never dug to the root of the problem."

"My Father was a cruel man, and while he never beat us, he took out all his emotional cruelty on Loki. He was my Father's whipping boy for everything that went wrong. And all Loki ever wanted was his approval, even now. I can see him convincing him this is the only way to get it."

"He's emotionally unstable and needs constant support and medical attention, things that I doubt that the DA and State are providing."

"Fuck YOU!" Bruce jumped again from his seat. "I mean, we can prove that he's been in the company of a psychiatrist since nearly the first day he escaped! Let's tell them!"

"We'd be playing into his hands," Tony shook his head. "If we tell the press that Loki is indeed seeing a psychiatrist, we prove his point. He could turn around and say, 'Why didn't you get Dr. Smuck who is Loki's primary I hire doctor?'."

"So no matter what, we look like monsters?"

Tony shrugged. The phone rang. "I'm guessing he watched?"

Strange's voice came over the speaker. "Yeah he watched."

"And?"

"All he said was that Thor looked well and then he left. I don't want to be too optimistic, but I think he's been making a lot more progress than I give him credit for."

The press was eating out of the Grandmaster's hands, however. Sympathetically running his interviews where hosts would shed tears as they comforted him and Thor or cutting news conferences with DA's office short in solidarity. Odin tried to do his own sympathetic interview only to come across off as stiff and about as emotionally distant. He kept referring to Loki as his 'adopted son' and Thor as his son'.

"I make the distinction too," Gast told one reporter afterwards, "but I'm not the man who watched as Frigga raised them."

Again, Loki surprised them by taking it in his stride. "Dad and I were never close, but that hardly matters. He loves me, in his own way. And I am not letting...Gast....twist that. Nothing can change that."

If there ever were words that tempted fate...

~~~~

"Babe."

"Hmmm?"

"The phone. Before the kids wake up."

Val groaned but rolled over and picked up her cell. "It's two in the goddamn morning. This better be good!"

"Shhhhh," Carol hissed, eyes still shut.

"Valkyrie Brunnhilde?"

"Yeah?"

"J. Jonah Jameson here."

"The newspaper guy?" she yawned.

"One and the same. Just a courtesy call about the video-"

"What video?"

"The video of Thor and Loki Valhalla...I'm sorry, I thought you would know. I mean a clip of it has been live for like four hours on Pornhub."

She bolted out of bed, gathering clothes as she went. "A video...on Pornhub?! Of Thor and Loki?!"

"Yeah...um anway, my reporters were able to get a copy a censored full version."

"I'll be right over to pick it up! It'll take me-"

"Whoa now! Like I said, this is a courtesy call. We're posting it now."

"WHAT?!" she screamed. The twins wailed from their bedroom and Goose the cat ran from the room. Carol sat up, sensing her distress. "The hell is on this video! Who else has it?!"

"Everyone, I should think. Oh, and Pornhub has announced they'll post the uncensored version in about....an hour or so. Don't shoot the mess-"

Val hung up and quickly scrolled to find Bruce's number. Before she had even pressed call, her phone rang.

"You heard?"

"Oh yeah. We're in deep fucking shit."


	14. Chapter 14

The video seemed to be shot in a small undecorated room. It could have been a dorm or rather sparse hotel room. Whoever had set up the camera had known how to position it to get the best angle; slightly elevated to get a good view of the bed and 'the action'.

"What are you doing all the way over there?" Thor said on the screen, reaching out to Loki, who giggled and playfully slipped from his grasp. "Come over here."

Loki smiled and seductively crawled toward the older boy. They looked so young in the video. "Why are you still wearing clothes? Where did my clothes go?"

"You were burning up, remember? God! Your ass is amazing!" Hands kneaded the flesh in question. "Fuck, you're...blue....is your skin supposed to be blue?"

Natasha cut it off right there. "Suffice to say he gets over him being blue." She grimaced. "Time stamp says 2009."

"That can be edited, can't it?" Val rubbed the back of her neck in worry as she stared at the screen.

"We're going to argue that," Tony reassured her. He was fumbling around with one of the massive packets of transcripts of Loki's testimony as he spoke, occasionally staring up at the paused video.

"They're both high!" Bruce cried, waving his hands at the screen. "I mean, you can clearly see they're both high!"

"The unedited version opens with Loki even talking about them smoking."

The detective tore at his hair in exasperation.

"This is everywhere. And everyone is claiming public interest."

"What about Gast?"

"Bastard hasn't said a word. Refuses to comment."

"Fuck, we have a problem."

"Bigger than a sex tape?"

Tony traced his finger along the transcript as he read: "'I guess I got caught up in the water being so warm. I'd been cold for so long. I didn't notice him getting closer. I didn't notice until he pulled me close to him. He ran his hand down my tattoo'." Where was that tattoo supposed to be?"

"Left thigh," Val said, slowly realizing what he was getting at. It was clear from the video that both brothers lacked any sort of body art. "Can't that be edited too?"

"We can check but," he shook his head, "I'm going to say from what I see, it hasn't." He rubbed his chin. "Do we know when Loki got the tattoo?"

Bruce laughed, disbelieving. "We never asked!"

"How big is the tattoo?"

"Like a foot or so. Why?"

"Loki was eighteen when he was kidnapped, right? Okay, you're eighteen, just freshly an adult. You want a tattoo. Do you go to a parlor, slap your thigh and say, 'give me a foot long...whatever...on my thigh'?"

"It's a spear and war hammer. Norse looking."

"Do you do that at eighteen? When I turned eighteen and wanted a tattoo I thought about something smallish. I didn't have a lot of money and I didn't want my Dad to find out I had spent money on something like that. Chickened out before the appointment. Now Loki has Daddy Dearest Odin. Do you really think, after turning eighteen and already on a tight purse string that he's going to get a tattoo like that?"

"I don't understand. Are you saying, Loki lied?" Val looked at the DA incredulously.

Tony again shook his head. "No! Trust me, I've interviewed plenty of rape and abuse victims to recognize one, and Loki checks all the boxes. No, what I'm saying is, what if Loki got the tattoo after he was kidnapped. After he and Thor were made to...," he waved his hand at the screen. "Tattoos can have meaning right? What if for Loki that meaning, 'he touched me here first'."

Bruce excitedly nodded along. "That would make sense. We've all seen how he goes distant when he talks about something that troubles him. Or how he says he doesn't remember. He's editing the details to make it easier to talk....fuck Strange will probably have a field day with this!"

"Um, has anyone heard from Strange yet?"

They looked around at one another. It was one in the afternoon. They had all arrived at the Major Crimes station at about four thirty in the morning as they chased down a copy of the video for police use. All the news agencies refused until they had had time to copy it. Pornhub had agreed, going so far as to take it down. Within minutes, there were other copies uploaded however. Bruce had checked Reddit and even 4chan, and found several threads dedicated to keeping the video, censored or uncensored, up on whatever site could host them. At seven, all of the major morning shows had led with the video and a copy had finally made its way to the small group. They had waited some time before watching it, waiting for a public comment from Gast. After that, they had watched it three times through, taking breaks between viewings to regroup their emotions. Now, as they had finally assessed it, they realized they hadn't heard or seen anything from Dr. Strange at all.

Val quickly grabbed her jacket and keys as Tony and Bruce raced after her.

When they arrived at the Valhalla estate, they found Hela in tears, screaming at her Father as the security guard he had hired hauled trash bags of Loki's clothing and things out to a waiting car. The guard smirked as they entered the house, but said nothing. Strange was between father and daughter as they shouted.

"Ah!" Odin cried upon seeing them. "Come to arrest the whore?"

"DADDY!" Hela shouted angrily.

"Sir, I'm sure you've seen the video on the news."

"The news? I had it sent to me. It was sent to my daughter. To my grandchildren!"

"We're very sorry about that Sir, but if you can let us explain we think the video has been edit-"

"That whore seduces my son with drugs, get him kidnapped and mixed up with the mob, and then has the AUDACITY to try to use me?!"

"That man is your son too!" Val shouted back. "That video is Gast trying to get to you! Don't let him win! They're brothers! They wouldn't do that! Who could imagine..."

Odin glared at Hela who nervously fidgeted under the gaze. "Um...apparently Loki had a crush...on Thor."

The detective took a step back in disbelief. "Wait...what?"

"Mom knew. She helped him find all these support groups about being adopted." She defiantly glared at her father. "Because he wanted to get over his crush!"

"Not a word from you!" Odin was red in the face. "Isn't it enough you've lost your brother-"

"I HAVEN'T LOST EITHER OF MY BROTHERS! I HAVE LOST A FATHER!" She stamped out of the house, pushing past Tony and Bruce.

"Sir, " Strange said, his voice slightly hoarse and very tired, "again, this video is a ploy. And you are playing right into Gast's hand by abandoning Loki now."

"You're kicking him out?" Tony looked dumbfounded.

"I am not letting that wh-"

"SAY WHORE AGAIN, YOU BASTARD!" Bruce grabbed Odin by his lapels and backed into a wall. The security guard looked on, only leisurely strolling toward the detective. "THAT'S YOUR GODDAMN SON! YOU CALL HIM WHORE ONE MORE TIME! I DARE YOU! I FUCKING DARE YOU!"

The man said nothing, but he looked determined in position.

"Where's Loki?" Val asked Strange, calmly.

"My car out front. I figured it'd be better to take him back to my facility regardless of what happens."

She found the young man still in the car, tear tracks still visible on his face.

"Loki," she spoke gently as she slipped into the front seat, "it's going to be okay. This doesn't changeanything."

"We were high."

"I know, I could tell."

"He gave us a choice. After he found our..."

"Your what?"

"He gave us a choice. Do it or we....," he shook his head. He was struggling to speak and fresh tears sprung to his eyes. "I was the one who asked for the drugs. Thor couldn't relax and even alone we knew we were being watched."

"And you never had sex with Thor before you were kidnapped?"

Loki looked at her in shock and betrayal. "Why would we? Do you think we were perverts?! He told you about my....support groups."

"No I'm just as-"

"Do you think I'm a whore like Odin says?! Hela says she believes me but I can tell she doubts it too! We never! Never!"

"I believe you, I jus-"

"LIAR! GET OUT!! GET OUT!!" He screamed at her, pounding on his knees and thighs hard enough to bruise. She winced and tried again to reassure him, but he nearly attacked her trying to push her away. She could still hear his sobs as she walked towards her own vehicle, defeated.

~2010~

"I told the police. Everything."

Gast barely looked up from his crossword. "Hmmm?"

"When I was in the hospital. There was an officer, and I told her. How you kidnapped us. And rape us. I told her. She was going to come back with other officers. Probably pulled the footage of who came and got me."

"I didn't go and get you. Remember?"

"They'll know it's you though."

He put down his pen and paper finally and looked at the young man. They were sitting alone in the penthouse, Loki's legs tied together, his hands cuffed behind his back. It was the only reason he had been allowed out of the Grandmaster's room. Thor was in the basement, taking the brunt of his punishment. Yet, Loki felt bold. Surely, the police were coming! It had been two days. In all the cop shows it took only a few days to find the person. This nightmare would end soon!

"So what's your plan here? Tell me you told the cops and hope I'm spooked enough to let you walk out of here? With your brother? Alive?"

It did sound ridiculous put like that, but still he jutted his chin out in defiance.

"And how, uhm, do you know this cop isn't one of mine? I send a lot of money to make evidence and witnesses go missing. I pay people to pay off people to pay off people. How do you know this isn't one of my cops? How do you know they didn't tell me about you?"

He shook his head. "You would have thrown that right in my face when I got back. But you didn't. So she wasn't yours."

"But she could become mine. Or I could find and uhm retire her. I don't think you get it. I. Own. You."

"But for how long?"

Gast waved a finger at him, conceding the argument. "You got me there. Sad to say I'm not immortal. And I know my history and my physics. What comes up, will go down. But sweetheart, tell me. Do you honestly think it's going to be you who does me in?"

Loki shifted in his bounds, nervously.

"Thought not. But I get it. You had a sweet life in Thor's shadow. Nice view of his ass, that you can't have because damn it all, your brothers. You had a nice niche being the fucked kid that was supposed to put Odin and Frigga's marriage back together. Didn't work, did it? They still fought, didn't they? Even with the miracle charity case kid? Only reason they didn't divorce was because Odin's too proud and Frigga too forgiving. They haven't even filed a police report by the way, that you two are missing. They think it's your fault. Or Thor's. Which is harder to bear, I wonder?"

He looked away, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing him cry.

"But you're free to leave at any time, to go home. If they'll have you."

His head whipped around so fast he became dizzy and nearly fell over.

Gast chuckled and reached down beneath the coffee table and placed a small handgun in between them. "If you would prefer, I also have knives, though I'd prefer you not use my kitchen supplies. I have drugs, as you know, but who knows; you may survive. Same with hanging, and that always looks painful. We can go to the roof and you can walk off the edge. Pick your poison, Lokes. Literally. Of course, that leaves just one itty bitty problem, doesn't it?"

Thor. He couldn't leave Thor. And Thor would never think of doing so drastic. So... permanent. He fell back, his defiance broken.

"Just sayin', Lo Lo. You ever feel like it, there's always an exit strategy."


	15. Chapter 15

Maybe she was up because she expected the call. Maybe she had envisioned this call for the last six to seven months. Maybe while thinking of something else she could have said to make him feel better that afternoon, she had already heard this phone call in her mind.

"Valkyrie! Thank Christ you're awake! It's Loki! He's been sent to the hospital!"

"Why?" Her voice was steady, but there was a note of panic as she rose from her bed.

"He...tried to kill himself. I have a bunch of pain meds on the grounds and usually they're locked away but Loki knew where we keep the keys! It's never been a problem before! And usually we have an alarm if anyone opens it but it was disabled for some reason! He's never indicated-"

"Where is he?"

"Mercy. We caught him fairly early so it's pretty certain he'll make it. Odin's security guard went with him."

That made a warning light go off. "I thought Odin wanted nothing to do with him anymore?"

"Either he lied or Hela hired the guy, because he's been hanging around since this afternoon. Val, how soon can you get her in the morning?"

She glanced at the clock as it flashed one fifteen. "If traffic is kind, five."

"He's going to need you."

Traffic was not kind and she arrived at the hospital at about six. Bruce and Tony were waiting for her in the lobby as she entered.

"Took you long enough!"

"Hey, I'm here! Why aren't you guys upstairs? Where's Strange?"

"We haven't been allowed in the room, as of yet. And Strange is talking to the doctors."

"Is he awake?"

"Apparently, he woke up around four thirty and then went back to sleep. That was last thing anyone told us."

"Well, let's go and try to get some answers."

There were a few reporters milling around when they arrived on Loki's floor. Barely any of them took interest in the three as the moved to the nurse's station, where Strange was drumming his fingers waiting for a nurse to get off the phone. He looked as though he hadn't slept at all that night; his eyes were bloodshot and large dark circles hung under them.

"They won't tell me anything," Strange growled. "Didn't let me in the room when he was awake. He was up for about forty minutes, and they didn't even come get me from the administration office!"

"He's still technically in your custody though, right?" Tony said. "I mean, you can go over their heads. We can go over their heads."

"Actually, we're in a gray area there. Once Loki was admitted here, he ceased being my patient. Well, he's still my patient, but I'm not his primary doctor. Dr. Paige is."

"Well, where's this Paige?" Bruce asked testily.

Strange waved a hand to the nurse, "I've been looking for him. After he saw Loki and made his rounds and then went M.I.A."

"You think he's the one who called the vultures?" She jerked her head towards the gaggle of press, a few checking their phones expectantly.

"Most definitely."

The nurse finally hung up the phone and turned back to Strange, a professional smile on her face. "Dr. Paige is going to be arriving soon. He says then he will see if Mr. Valhalla wants visitors."

"I'm his psychiatrist! And this is the goddamn cops and ADA!"

She smiled brightly. "I have to make my rounds, Sir."

Strange turned back to them once she left. "I've been dealing with this for an hour!"

"I have a feeling it's only get worse."

"A lot worse! Look!" Bruce pushed them all to look down the hallway. The press too had noticed and were moving down to meet the small group moving towards them.

Leading the group was a doctor, obviously Dr. Paige who had primped and preened to be ready for the reporters. Beside him was Gast's lawyer, already catching sight of the detectives and Tony. He smiled smugly and waved the familiar blue court order paper as a way of greeting. Behind the two of them, walked Gast himself, wearing a pair of sunglasses and leaning on Thor's arm as though he was about to collapse. A fine bit of theater for the cameras that flashed before the nurses began to reprimand the photographers.

"Ah, Dr. Strange!" Paige stuck out his hand as he walked up them. Next to the haggard psychiatrist, he looked like an angel offering his hand to a goblin. "I'm glad you can make time to see me to discuss my patient."

"MY patient." Strange corrected. "My patient."

"I think you will find come," the other doctor glanced at his watch, "twenty minutes ago, he's mine."

"He has to consent to it."

"Who do you think got the ball rolling?"

"I think you'll need this," Gast's lawyer spoke up, handing Tony the order with a greasy smile.

Tony opened and read it like he was sucking on a lemon. "The charges are being dropped."

"WHAT?!" The hall erupted into more flashes of cameras and questions from the reporters. The nurses began to push them outside, threatening to call security as they yelled to be heard.

"Loki recanted this morning when he woke up. He wants to go home." The lawyer said, smiling. Val swore she saw his client's mouth twitch into a smile for just a moment.

"Can we see him?" Thor asked. He was looking past the doctor to a rotation chart.

"N-" Strange and Bruce began.

"Of course," Paige said jovially, guiding them down the hall and through the labyrinth of turns to Loki's room. Tony glared at the other lawyer the entire way and Strange tried to speak to Paige who seemed to blissfully deflect all questions. Bruce watched in a silent fury as once out of sight of the press, Gast whipped off the sunglasses and quaffed his hair. He didn't let go of Thor's arm, but he certainly wasn't leaning on it anymore; he was guiding it. Val watched the blonde man. Out of everyone, he seemed the most anxious and worried, more in a hurry to get to room than all rest. It was Gast who was keeping him steady, having him not break into a run.

They arrived to find the security guard coming out of the room, looking around. He saw them and nodded. "Just on time. He woke and is asking for yah!"

Paige smiled. "There, you see!"

"Not you, Doc," the guard looked at Gast and Thor. "He's been asking for you, Boss."

The word hit Val full in her face. She took two steps back, the world reeling before bouncing back, hands reaching, going for the Grandmaster's throat. "You...SON OF A-"

"Hey now!" Gast placed himself between her and the other man, a sly triumphant smile on his face. "Don't want to be disturbing the peace. This is a hospital!" He winked and she felt bile in her throat.

He turned away from her and took Thor's hand in mock tenderness before entering the room. There was a scream.

Before anyone could stop her, Val raced into the room after them, knocking Paige into the door as she went. Her stomach dropped.

Loki was crying, holding out his arms to Gast like a child reaching for a beloved toy. "YOU CAME!! OH THANK GOD!! I MISSED YOU!! I'M SO SORRY!!! PLEASE, I'M SO SORRY!!!"

The Grandmaster basked in the attention, leisurely making his way to the bed. He reached out and took the younger man's face into his hands. "Oh my Lo Lo. What have you done to yourself?" He said it almost admiringly.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. I won't do it again! I was alone. I didn't-"

"I know you didn't, sweetheart. I know you didn't." He petted the dark wavy hair. "We're going to go home. I think a nice bath is in order. Then we'll see about ordering up something for your tummy. Something light."

Loki was nodding along, still hiccupping apologetically. Thor stood at the foot of the bed for a few moments before he was noticed. The younger brother reached out before turning to the Grandmaster, his eyes looking pleading. He was asking for permission.

"Sparkles, come here! Look how much you're distressing him!"

Thor nearly flew into Loki's arms, gathering him up into a tight embrace. The younger broke down into fresh sobs, but said nothing. He reached and grasped his brother's left shoulder who did the same. A few words were whispered, but nothing the detective could hear.

"Mrs. Brunnhilde I could have you removed from the hospital for assault!" Paige entered the room, straightening out his scrubs. "I am going to ask you to leave the room while I look over my patient."

"Is that what Loki wants?" Val asked. She stared past Gast, past even Thor's forearm to the young man's face. She caught a look of watery green eyes. "Do you want me to leave?"

"Y-yes," the response was quiet. "I want you to go."

"You heard him," the Grandmaster purred. "Out."

~~~~

"He's already brought at least one photographer!" Bruce tried to thrust his phone into Val's face, a picture of Gast kissing Loki in the hospital room on the screen.

She pushed it away.

"They have to file every form," Tony repeated the phrase that had become his mantra over the last four hours. "We're not off the case until every form is filed." It reminded Val of war movies, where a soldier continued to fight even though they were heartbeats away from death. But she sat beside him, just as ready to stick it out if he was.

They were sitting in a small out of the way hallway near a few vending machines. The press had been let in once Paige had 'cleared' Loki, only to be kicked out again once they had tried to mob Strange as he left with questions about the 'failures' in his facility. A few still roamed the halls, harassing nurses and doctors and asking them questions. If any saw Tony, Bruce, and Val, they ignored them. A small kindness.

"Hey."

None of them had heard him approach or stop in front of them. They nearly gave themselves whiplash as they looked up. Thor stood over them, staring down at their knees. His eyes hollow and there was a slump to his shoulders that made him appear smaller than he was.

"Hey," he repeated awkwardly.

No one spoke.

"You wouldn't happen to have change, would you? For the vending machine?"

They stared at him in confusion.

He sneered, a gesture that had been picked up from Gast. "Seriously? Come one. All I got is a fifty." He pulled out the bill to show them.

Bruce nearly gasped but Val kicked his leg. Tony was adjusting his glasses, shifting in his seat. She just looked at the bill, speechless.

"Never seen a fifty before?" He waved the bill so it fluttered in front of them.

"Cop salary," she finally quipped, her voice hoarse.

"I think I have change," Tony pulled out his wallet and handed two twenties and a ten to the young man. "You're lucky my kid's traveling right now. Always getting asked to buy something."

"I bet," Thor said in disinterest. They watched him walk over to the vending machines and bought three drinks before walking away without even a glance back towards them.

"Please tell me that actually happened," Bruce whispered. "That I didn't just have a fucking stroke or something."

"No, that happened!" Val tried to keep her voice down. She turned to Tony. "What do we do?"

"We wait here. They have to file every form. We're not off the case until every form is filed." There was none of the determination from before as he said the words, but his eyes spoke volumes. They stayed. To make it look as realistic as possible, they stayed.

He passed the fifty dollar bill to her as he sat back, making it seem like he simply didn't want to touch or be near it. She held it and looked at it until she had memorized everything before placing in her own wallet.

Written in permanent marker on the bill was: 'Korg's Gym. After 6pm, Mons, Weds, Sats. Upstairs. Ask for Hammer's room. No uniforms.'


	16. Chapter 16

Paige cleared Loki to leave the next day. From the look of the nurses and a few other doctors, this probably wasn't standard procedure. Thor didn't doubt it was against procedure, but he frankly didn't care. He had his brother back.

Gast took control of the wheelchair as they left the hospital, playfully spinning it as the press ate up the three of them being 'cute'. To some extent, it wasn't an act. Grandmaster was genuinely pleased in having Loki back, and Thor was more than willing to shower the younger with affection. Even once they had piled into the back of the town car, Gast kept lavishing attention on the brunette.

"I love having my boys back," he purred as he kissed Loki repeatedly. It made Thor feel a strange warm gooey feeling when he said this, and he leaned in for his own kiss.

Once back at the penthouse, Loki indeed received a bath, Thor bathing him in the large master tub while Gast filmed and made running commentary over it. Afterward, they fed him a warm cup of broth, his stomach still weak. It was the Grandmaster who spoonfed him, teasing him all the while playfully. It was so sweet and domestic that Thor nearly forgot everything.

But nothing sweet lasts.

"You know, Lo Lo, Sparkles just doesn't feel like you in bed. Not as flexible or as long lasting."

Gast fucked Loki first. He did it in his bedroom, with only Thor as a witness. Loki was more than happy with this, kissing, nipping, and scratching the Grandmaster's back, showing off his flexible body. He pleaded to cum and said all the things that made the older man happy. Thor was surprised that he wasn't granted permission, with all the effort he put in.

"I'm simply not enough for you. Isn't that right, Lo Lo?" Grandmaster had said after he came, smiling down at Loki expectantly.

It took Loki a few moments to remember what was supposed to come next. Months of being out practice. Once he did, however, he put himself completely into the performance. The Grandmaster was right: he was a slut. He craved cock so much. He needed more. "Dad even said so! He calles me a whore! He knew! He's right! I'm a whore! Please!"

Gast dressed in a robe and pulled Loki from the room to the living room where a party had begun. "Lo Lo's wants to show his appreciation! Remember to wear condoms and don't leave any marks on his face."

Mario went first, a right he claimed frequently during events like this. He liked taking the young man from behind, letting everyone see the younger man's face. At least he was halfway approximating gentle. The guard who had helped facilitate Loki's return, not so  
much. This was one half of his reward, and he relished it. He asked permission to loop his belt around Loki's neck while he 'fucked the brat', and was allowed but was forbidden from tightening it. Visual marks was still an issue when Gast still had television interviews lined up.

Next came the judge who had helped drop the case. He seemed more interested in 'tasting' the brunette. He became a bit of a joke of the evening with his lip smacking and pig like grunts. Even Thor had to admit he did make a funny sight, if he wasn't trying to devour his brother.

Then came Dr. Paige, who enjoyed making his time with Loki like a medical exam. He pressed and poked and prodded various parts of his 'patient' and teasingly referred to his cock as a 'shot'. He must have been upset when Loki did not act out his fantasy, because at one point he had to be reminded not to hit him in the face.

"And now, Sparkles. Do you want a turn?"

There was a time when Thor would have said no.

He would have screamed no. He would ask do this privately or felt some type of shame in having to do it in front of the jeering audience. But now, that meant nothing. He could ignore them and focus on Loki. He could gather the younger man into his arms and kiss away the tears that were at the corner of his eyes. He could be gentle and whisper things into his ear. Loki could whisper back how much pain he actually was in. His stomach was revolting and he felt like he was going to puke. Thor promised to be gentle. They were tender and sweet, and boring to everyone except the Grandmaster.

Gast crept close to Loki and whispered over his shoulder so the two could hear him clearly. "You're very lucky I have a forgiving and understanding nature, Lo Lo. I could have you uhm disappeared. Or maybe put you to work on the docks. You seem so good at working that body of yours. Maybe you'd be happier there. No, no, then I'd miss you. My Lo Lo. Isn't that right? My boys, forever and ever."

Thor almost wished it was so.

~~~~~

Korg's Gym was said to offer the neighborhood gym experience to the wealthy uptown set. Downstairs did have the grungy feel of an old gym; weights and equipment mismatched, an old boxing ring that looked held together with string and prayer, and exposed brick everywhere. But it was all a facade. There were still the personal trainers who strutted around correcting designer dressed men and women and all the equipment was high end and new. Upstairs was a bistro and smoothie bar, along with a spa, with its own private entrance to allow those who wanted to eat but not workout to come and go as they see fit.

Bruce and Natasha used the private entrance while Val and Tony did a circuit around the gym. It was the Wednesday after Loki had been released, about four days since the hospital. They had been at the gym on Monday, but there had not been sight of Thor anywhere.

Today was more promising. Thor did appear, going straight for a treadmill. Tony tried to interact with him at one point, seemingly in the guise of friendly gym banter. The blonde ignored him and turned up the intensity on his machine from light job to mild sprint. But when the ADA turned to leave, the blonde grunted, "Need to finish."

Hammer's Room turned out to be a private room for eating and decompressing away from the other patrons in the upstairs bistro. There was a large television on one end and a small table with plush chairs was in the center. There was also a few recliners, obviously for patrons who took advantage of the gym downstairs. The two detectives and two ADAs once reunited nervously fidgeted as they waited to see what happened next.

Finally, an hour or so later, the door opened and Thor entered carrying a tray with a giant hamburger and a to go bag. He had showered before he had come in, still slightly dripping water. He smiled at them, well at least in their general direction as he sat down.

"Don't mind me eating, do you? After a workout I'm starving and this place makes amazing burgers." He moved to go back so it was out of his way. "Loki loves their tempura fried green beans."

"How is Loki?" Val asked.

Thor bit into his hamburger rather than answer at first. When he finally swallowed, he shrugged. "He's home."

"Is he in the basement?"

Wiping his hands and mouth on a napkin, he said, "Nah. He already proved he knew what he did was wrong. And besides, we got interviews all this weekend so he needs to look his best."

"Thor, if you want to escape we ca-" Natasha began but was cut off.

"No, I'm not leaving. If I leave, he'll know. And I can't leave Loki there alone. Besides," the smile he gave in Val's direction was the cruelest she had ever seen from a witness, "you guys really don't have a good track record of protecting you, do you?"

They all shrunk down in their seats at that.

"No, how this is going to work is you come here and hope I come here too. I get dinner and talk. Tell you what I can. If you're lucky, I'll plant a camera or mic or two. But you never keep from leaving back to him, do you understand? The moment you try, I'm gone. I can't leave Loki there alone. I can't be without...." He looked down at his hamburger, his cheeks going red.

They had their work cut out for them.


	17. Chapter 17

"I'm here once again in the penthouse suites of the Gladiator Hotel with En Dwi Gast, as well as Thor and Loki Valhalla. I suppose I'll begin with you Loki. How do you feel?"

"Better than I was a week ago, thank you. A little silly. It all seems very...stupid now that I look back on it. Just all very stupid."

"Can you take us through what led to you being nearly forced to testify against your boyfriend?"

"It's all right, sweetheart. Don't be shy."

"I uhm...I am a recovering addict and my road to recovery has been rocky to say the least. Especially with my depression. And I had a few friends who never supported my transition to being sober. So a few months ago they came to visit and wanted to get  
high. I said no. I'm clean now, and I have the best two boyfriends anyone could ask for who want me clean. They didn't like that because I was the one who would buy so they beat me. I ended up in the hospital. They planted some drugs on me, I guess for revenge and well, the police arrested me."

"The police and DA claim you weren't arrested."

"That's not what they told me. They arrested me and then claimed I was a danger to myself and locked me in a mental facility."

"They say you consented to go."

"I consented under pressure. I stayed because I thought they were helping. I do have depression and they promised to keep me clean. They promised....it wasn't until my Father and the State got involved that I realized it was a lie-"

Val turned off the television. She couldn't watch Gast having Loki lean into him, his arm draped around the younger man as he spoke. She couldn't watch as he rubbed his knee tenderly and kissed his forehead occasionally. It made her physically ill and she had to get ready for her 'workout'.

Thor hadn't appeared on Saturday to the gym and Monday he had come and went without speaking to them. Well, barely speaking to them. He had given them a heads up about this interview and a few interdepartmental moles. A few uniform officers in Major  
Crimes were already placed subtly under surveillance and put on 'light' duty to keep them from learning about what was happening thanks to that information.

But the Sakaar mob was not the only thing they had to worry about.

"Again, I really think you two should leave before you fuck us over again," Bruce said crossing his arms and leaning back in one of the chairs in the private room.

"My client has a right to be here. This is his son," the lawyer said calmly, not even blinking at the eyes that rolled at the comment.

"So was Loki," Natasha pointed out.

Odin glared from his position in one of the recliners. "And you saw how he acted in that interview."

"I don't know how many times we have to explain that is a lie," Bruce growled.

"You can stay, but hinder this at all or don't abide by the rules, you're out of here and being charged with obstruction," Tony warned.

The lawyer looked as though he was going to object when the door opened and once again Thor slid into the room. He had a large salad and a to-go cup filled with some type of smoothie. Again he had showered before he had come to see them, and the room was filled with the smell of shower gel and deodorant.

"Sorry about Monday. Had promised I'd do something for...well it doesn't matter. Catch the interview? They're still playing it and we got another one lined up. Almost wasn't allowed out!" He laughed as he sat down, throwing down his backpack he had slung over his shoulder down. "Calorie counting, again." He explained as he waved a hand toward the smoothie.

Val caught sight of Odin. He looked at the young man in shock, his hand wanting to reach out for his son. He was tearing up. In spite of the anger she felt towards him, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for him at this moment.

"Now, before we begin, I must warn you that we can't really use much of what Loki already provided us in any trial that goes forward after this," Tony began, pulling out a large notepad and several pens. While they were indeed still taping the interview, they felt that not telling Thor would be beneficial, allowing for a more honest testimony.

"Double jeopardy," Thor nodded as he grazed. "Yeah. He crowed about that for a bit once Max got in touch with him."

"Max?"

"Security guard dude. Guy who slipped Loki the new phone that got him in touch with Grandmaster." He pointed at the pad of paper, "Should write that down."

As Tony did, Natasha asked, "We'll come back to that but I think we should confirm some things. So we're all on the same page."

He shrugged, still eating his salad contentedly, looking vaguely past the female ADA at point on the wall.

"Okay, again just so we're clear, you and your brother were kidnapped by Gast in 2009 from a bar near NYU?"

"The Independent, or something like that, but yeah."

"And you were kept a few months in the basement of one of his penthouses?"

Thor nodded nonchalantly. "Don't remember which one. One of the crappier ones, but that doesn't much help, does it?"

"No it doesn't but that doesn't mean you are not helping. You are being extremely helpful."

"I wish to ask a question," the new lawyer said, leaning forward. Thor seemed only mildly surprised at this new person, but Val had a feeling he simply didn't remember how many people had been there originally. "What part did Loki play in your kidnapping?"

"Loki?" The blonde frowned. "He was kidnapped with me. His part was victim number two. What the hell kind of question was that?!" He was getting agitated, throwing down his fork in frustration.

Before Tony could intercede, the lawyer foolishly said, "Many sources say that Loki helped assist in your capture and-"

The table was banged as Thor brought both fists down on it. He looked the lawyer directly in the eye as he spoke, causing the man to shrink in on himself. It was the first time outside of looking at Gast or Loki that he had looked at anything or anyone directly. "Did those fuckwit PIs my Dad sent around tell you that? Those assholes were paid off ten minutes after they were hired. I was in the room when it happened. Loki was in the room! We had to..." He looked away again, and began to shrink once more. He looked so lost and small. His eyes again became unfocused and vacant. "Those PIs were useless."

There was a tension in the room as the young man breathed heavily for a moment before picking up his fork and viciously stabbing a piece of lettuce.

"Okay, that was very helpful," Val soothed, sending the lawyer a smug smile.

The lawyer was not done however. "And the relationship between you and Loki? When and how did that begin?"

"2010. Grandmaster gave us an option. Fuck or go back to the basement. The basement was awful. Loki got this cough when we were down there. In the winter he still gets pretty sick. I think he has an infection or something. He got this fever once where he couldn't see. I thought he was permanently blind."

"May I ask why it started?" Bruce asked gently.

"He had access to our internet history. Had a few IT guys on the payroll, learned that later. Saw....," his hand was shaking as tried to eat. It was obvious he wasn't tasting anything in his mouth. "Saw the fact that I...had a...I guess you could call it a crush but it was more than that it was-"

"Stop!" Odin stood up and was walking over to Thor, tears on his cheek. "You don't have to lie for him!! It's alright, son! It's alright!"

Whatever one expected of a son and father reuniting after ten years, this was not that. Thor looked shocked at Odin. Fearful even. He was out of his chair and backing up, looking like he was going to flee. His movements were uncoordinated, and his eyes whirled around in terror. Bruce and Val stood and tried to step between them, but Odin shoved them aside trying to embrace Thor who again kept moving away.

"Son! It's alright! You're free! You can come home! My boy! My baby boy!" The father's voice shook as he motioned to the younger man to join him in his embrace.

"What are you doing here? Is this a trick? I said I'm not going to any safehouse-"

"He came on his own accord." Tony said quickly. "He's not with us!"

"You can come home with me! Your room is just how you left it." Odin had finally closed the gap between them, hugging Thor closer than he had ever hugged Loki. Thor was stiff in his arms, eyes lookng vacantly through Bruce and Val.

"I am going back to Loki." His voice was quiet but firm.

"You don't have to go back! Not to that monster or his whore ever again."

The word whore seemed to make Thor come alive. He grabbed Odin and practically threw him into a wall, his fist raised to strike. It took both detectives holding his other arm not to get him to swing.

"You did it didn't you?! You really did call him a whore!?! I thought it was something he made up to please Grandmaster, but no, you really did it! You called him...FUCK YOU! He used to dream about coming home to you and mom! He used to talk about it all the time! And when he got back this time, how he just cried. You called him a whore?! Why?! Why?!"

"Thor!"

"S-son! My bo-"

"I'm not YOUR boy! Not anymore." He dropped Odin, still pinning him with proximity and a glare to the wall. "Do you know how many opportunities we had to give him information about your business dealings? Do you know how much we could have gained?"

"You would nev-"

"In a heartbeat I would. In a fucking heartbeat. Hey ADA, you wanna know something? About Max? The security guard my...Father hired?"

"S-sure," Tony said nervously.

"He tried to get Loki to leave. Just walk out the door and leave. Loki said no. Even when he got the phone and could text Grandmaster, he didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay. But he kept saying he missed him. He missed being held. He missed being told he was good. That's why he did it, y'know? Tried to kill him‐ self. Because the Grandmaster stopped texting back. I wasn't allowed on the phone but I would hear it go off. I begged to be able to talk to him. But he was bad."

Thor ran his fingers through his hair and turned away from the wall and his Father and began to pace. His words were quick and crazed as he spoke. "He was bad. He should have just come home. I should have been there. I shouldn't have been bad in the first place. That's how this all started! I was bad. I was bad. I was-"

"Thor!" Val grabbed his hand and pulled it away from his head. Calmly, she asked,

"What do you mean, this is how it all started?"

"I'm the reason we were separated. And why he was in the hospital. The first time. I saw Heimdall, my old roommate, at a bookshop and got invited for coffee. I used to have a massive crush on him, and I guess it wasn't one-sided. I begged Grandmaster to let me go on the coffee date. He agreed, but I had to be back by 10. And no touching." He giggled, a strange weird giggle. "I was just so happy to see him! And he is a PhD candidate now! I stayed until 10:45 and I may have let him kiss me. It was just a friendly one. But Grandmaster gets so jealous. He asked how I felt about hurting him and Loki. Especially Loki. And when I didn't say anything, he slapped Loki so hard he fell off the couch!"

"He put Loki in the hospital....because he was jealous?"

"Yeah. But it's okay. It was my fault. I just forgot. I forgot how jealous he gets. He once had my shoulder dislocated because Loki kept talking to this one guy. Don't even think he liked him, just took too long getting back to our table. He cried when he was told he had to put it back in place. Loki isn't as strong as me, so it took several tries. And we had to be quiet because there was a meeting."

Thor slumped forward, swaying slightly. He looked like he was wrung out wash cloth of emotions. They were going to get nothing else from today.

"Y-you wanna pick this up on Saturday?" Bruce asked, patting his shoulder.

"Yeah. I should get going. He wants to watch some old sci-fi movie. I dunno. Maybe we can convince him to watch a comedy."

It was strange to think of a monster in such human terms. But it was stranger to watch Thor gather his things up and willingly leave to go back to the monster, even turning around and smiling at them as he did so. "See ya, Saturday!"


	18. Chapter 18

~2011~

Ashley was a sweet girl, if a tad annoying. She had a laugh that was a little too high and made her sound like she was going down a bumpy road. She wore too much jewelry, make up, and perfume, and when she talked in her thick Jersey accent she had a tendency to smack her lips and talk with exaggerated gestures. But Mario didn't keep her around for her conversational skills, as he was fond of saying when he smacked her large bottom as she walked by. Of the frequent hanger ons who came and went from the penthouse, she was Thor's favorite.

"I brought yah something!" She called as he returned from working out in the hotel gym.

"You really didn't have to," he said, but was still excited to see what it was. He looked around. "Where's Loki?"

"Oh he went with Gast somewhere. Focus!" She snapped her fingers and her rings clanged together.  
She tossed her overly large purse on the table and pulled out two large books. "Told yah my cousin went to college for this crap. Never finished, and tell him, Jay if you don't finish sell yah books. Nah, Ash, I'm gonna finish. My ass he's going to finish. He's making enough doing the rackets. But here, you take 'em!"

Thor took the books like they were precious treasure. 'Medieval European History: An Introduction' and 'The Viking and Their Legacy on the Early Modern World' were heavy volumes. But there was art within the pages and most of all, it had nothing to do with his current circumstances. He opened the page of one of the books to a picture of a war hammer and spear being laid out on a table by an anthropologist, showing the ceremonial markings and decoration on both.

"This has some examples of actual art, right?" he asked, feeling a twinge of guilt at being so greedy with his desire.

Ashley didn't seen to care. "'Course it does! You know, you can go to a bookstore and get a book on that! You already go and get your art stuff there."

"I-I don't want to ask," he said, placing the book down. Asking was not the right word. Gast would want him to beg, for every cent and dollar. To leave the penthouse and get a book from the chain store two blocks away. He would have to debase himself. He already did that for art supplies, he didn't think he could do it for a book. Maybe, if he was good, he could simply ask for a few books. If he was really good, Grandmaster would just shower him with whatever he asked for. He had to be good.

"You draw anything new?"

He blinked a few times before answering. "Oh, uh, yeah. One moment." He never left his sketchbook too far away from him. The penthouse crew had a 'habit' of going through it and doodling over some of his sketches if he left it out of field of vision. Sometimes, Gast would have them punished if he caught them. Sometimes he would ask for a pen and make his own drawings. Thor really didn't want to risk it.

He handed the sketchbook to Ashley who greedily snapped it up and opened it. She squealed in delight. "These are amazing!! Seriously, this hand and flower! I would totally get this done! Well, if Max let me get a new tattoo. But," she turned the page and sighed, "oh this is just fucking gorgeous. You drew a cat and it looks so cute I wanna eat it up!"

"It's Paul's cat."

"I know! And you should show him! He loves that thing. You never considered going into making tattoo art?"

Thor shook his head, trying not to laugh. Before he and Loki were kidnapped, he was an Econ major, desperately wanting to change his major to Medieval History. His Father would never expect anything less than him, though. Sketching and drawing was a hobby done behind closed doors, never encouraged except by his brother. He couldn't even tell his mother that most of his drawings were tattoo inspired.

After they were taken, his education had stopped. Gast had floated the idea of letting them take online courses, but that was snatched away during one of their 'bad' periods. Drawing became an escape. Grandmaster was his gentlest when he found him drawing and most people in the penthouse wanted a sketch, either for a tattoo or to just keep. Mario even turned one sketch into a shirt that he wore fondly during football season. Thor doubted Gast, however, would see the use or have the desire to put him through the training needed to be an artist.

As though summoned by the mere thought of him, Gast appeared with Mario at his side. Mario had a strange look of barely contained rage. Thor shrank instantly onto himself, gathering his new books closer to him. Suddenly Ashley having his sketchbook felt dangerous and he wanted to reach out and snatch it back. But he didn't dare do that. That would bring attention to himself, and he wasn't the one Mario was angry at.

"Hey, Ash!" the thug in question barked out, flexing his muscles as he crossed his arms. "Gotta sec to talk about the 'girl'?" They talked like this, even in the safety of the penthouse, most often. This vague way of speaking about their dealings. There were times, late in the evening and the dead of night when they would be specific. Old superstition someone once explained to him: the dark remains in the dark.

Ashley barely glanced up at him. "What about her?"

"She didn't make it to the 'drop'. She and her 'merchandise' are fucking gone."

"Well she was on her way when I put her and the baby in the cab this morning."

Mario rolled his neck in irritation and Gast chuckled darkly. "You didn't go with her?"

The woman frowned and finally passed back the sketchbook who Thor nearly all but hugged when it was returned. "I ain't going to see a kid sell a baby! I got betta things to do!"

"Like what?!"

"My hair for one!" She flicked her fire red curls over her shoulder. "And my nails! You want me pretty don't yah baby?"

"I WANNA BE PAID TOO SWEET FUCKING HEART!"

"What you got there, Sparkles?" Gast asked. Naturally, this was directed at Thor and was said conversationally. Like there wasn't a feeling of apprehension in the air.

Thor nervously showed his new books and sketchbook. Grandmaster waved him over and plucked them from his arms to examine them from his arms. He thumbed through one book before returning them with a hum of mild interest. "You like this stuff?"

"Y-yeah," he waited to see what happened. He ignored Ashley and Mario having a stare off.

"You know, there's going to be a Medieval exhibit at one of the museums uptown. Forget which ones, but they want me to come by and throw some razzle dazzle on it. Maybe if you're good, we'll go."

"Really?"

"Sure! Hey, sugar," Gast leaned over and spoke to him like he was speaking to a child, trying to distract him, "how about you go to my bedroom and hang out with Lo Lo. I bet he could use the company."

Maybe it was the idea that Thor was leaving that finally made it click in Ashley's mind that she was in trouble. "Hey, he and I were talkin'!"

Thor was slowly already moving to the bedroom, however. There was still a morbid curiosity that made him want to turn back as Ashley called after him and Mario shouted her down. There was a human emotion to turn around and take one last solid look at what had been a friend and occasional ally. But if he looked back, would he still be good? No, it was better to be good and do as Grandmaster suggested.

The bedroom was large with a king sized bed and huge television built into the wall. Loki was laying on the bed in one of Gast's robes, watching a period piece half-heartedly. He brightened though when Thor entered.

"Hey, how long have you been back?"

"Fifteen minutes. I got caught up talking to....someone."

There was a sound of two people shouting from out in the living room.

"O-oh."

"Hey, I got something." He sat down on the bed and handed the books over to Loki. The younger man took them and began to thumb through them, smiling more with each page that turned. "I already got some ideas for sketches, but the information also looks really interesting."

"Yeah," the other replied, having to tear his eyes away from a sub chapter on the order of succession.

Thor took one of the books again and thumbed to the page with the hammer and spear. "I was thinking of sketching these two first. Make it look like heraldry."

"Heraldry! Already talking like a professor!" Loki giggled.

"I was thinking of designing it as a tattoo...for you."

The younger man blinked at him, taken aback. "For me? A tattoo? I don't..."

He uncovered Loki's left thigh. There were faded pink lines and crosshatches. One still looked red and recent. He reached out and touched the cut before the robe was yanked back into place. "I doubt it hasn't crossed his mind the reason why you-"

"I don't want to hear about-"

"I understand. I know. I know. Trust me...I can still feel where he touched me on the back the first time… in the shower..... But this," he waved a hand to the scars under the robe, "This will not help."

Loki laughed bitterly, "And a tattoo will?"

"Maybe. Think about it like this...he touches us now. It's okay now, we're used to it. We're good. We...enjoy it now." Admitting it out loud made him want to vomit out every last trace of bile. But his brother was showing understanding and sympathy, so he pressed on. "But that first time. That first time was awful. Wouldn't be easier to....edit what happened?"

"Edit?"

"He didn't touch you here, Loki." He gripped the other's thigh. Green eyes began to tear up and he realized a little belatedly he had gripped too hard. He hoped the cut hadn't opened and was bleeding in the Grandmaster's bed.

"But he di-"

"No. Don't think like that. Thinking like that makes it harder, doesn't it? He touched your tattoo."

"My-"

"Yes, your tattoo. I designed you an amazing tattoo and you have it and that's what he touched."

Loki looked at him for a moment with doubt before there was a female scream from the living room. He recoiled, his face looking full of terror. Thor gathered him in his arms and laid them back onto the bed, shushing his noises of distress. He found the remote and switched the television to something else, a random cartoon show. He turned the volume up and rocked the younger gently.

A few hours later, when Grandmaster would return, he would find his boys with the television still on to cartoons. Loki would be asleep using the robe as part blanket part teddy bear and Thor would be drawing the first draft of Loki's new tattoo.

~2019~

"I know it's stupid, and I never realized how much he took it to heart, but he was happy when I finally got it done. We saved so much money to get it," Thor looked nostalgic for a moment.

"What happened to Ashley?" Tony asked, writing down a few things on his notepad.

"Well, once her hair grew back and her fingers healed, I think Mario sent her to one of the brothels. I mean," he shrugged, "it was either that or she's fish food." It was the casualness of how it was said that haunted Val for days after that.


	19. Chapter 19

"Don't go to the gym today."

Thor shrugged and didn't look up from his coffee. He knew better than to ask why or to make a huge issue out of wanting to go to the gym. That would raise questions or at least see several privileges stripped away. "Are we going to do something?"

"The tailor is coming in. We have an event and I want you two to look," Gast's eyes wandered over him,"delectable."

"If you want that, why not just put Loki in lingerie again and me in shorts? That seems to get your motor running," he teased.

"Don't tempt me. We do have another party tonight after the tailor, so maybe you'll get your wish, Sparkles."

He tried not to grimace, focusing on his coffee instead. Gast had already moved on to making himself comfortable at the island in the kitchen, not bothering to see the effect his words had on Thor.

"Isn't it Lo Lo's turn to cook?"

"He's still in bed."

"Tire him out last night? Without me?!" Grandmaster shook a finger at him. "Shame on you, Sparkles."

He didn't make an excuse for the other. It was better for both of them if he thought they had just fucked last night. They had, technically, but Loki had spent more time crying than anything else. He still hadn't gotten over being sent back to their bedroom. He was both overjoyed to be away from Gast and devastated by it as well. Thor suspected that the Grandmaster wanted the younger to beg permission to sleep with him permanently. There were always hints of this: treating his bedroom as both a reward and punishment.  
Forcing them to keep nearly all of their 'personal' items in there instead in their bedroom. The random nights where he would not let them return to either room so they were forced to sleep in the living room or beg entry into his bed.

Sleeping permanently with Gast was the final line, wasn't it? They truly would be his. Their bedroom, while small and sparse, was theirs. Even Grandmaster with all the times he had violated them and their lives, had never entered the room unless invited. Together, in that room, they had an inch of freedom.

"Do you want me to get him?"

"If you can keep your hands off of him. Tell you what, I'll forgive this infraction and we'll just go out. But you have to change. I'm not sitting by you in sweatpants."

Thor nodded and went back to the bedroom. Still wrapped in blankets, Loki softly snored. At least he really was sleeping.

"Loki," he came over and gently shook the younger, "Loki."

"Mmmm," was the answer.

"It's 7:50."

Loki's eyes snapped open. "Is he still asleep? Do I have time-"

"He's awake."

He bolted upright. "WHY DIDN'T YOU-"

"You needed your sleep. Anyway, he wants to go out. He thinks I exhausted you last night."

"He's going to be so grabby today," Loki swung his legs out of bed, still rigid with worry. "Are you sure he's not mad?"

"I honestly think he wanted the excuse to go out. He wants me to change. So we aren't eating downstairs."

"Hopefully we'll go somewhere that serves good mimosas or Bloody Marys."

"Loki!"

"What?!"

"I don't think-"

"I don't care. Besides, it really isn't up to you or I, is it? He'll order it for us regardless."

Thor sighed. He had to concede the point. There were certain things they had just come to expect.

~2010~

"You me to...what?"

"Cook. I'm assuming you've done it in the past."

"Prima Dona Brat probably never cooked in his life!" Mario called from the couch and the crew laughed.

"I've cooked," he said defensively. He glanced at Loki, who stared back just as confused.

"Well, if you look behind you Sparkles, to the kitchen, you'll find a fully stocked pantry and refrigerator and all the equipment necessary to make a hearty breakfast. Most important meal of the day. Best meal of the day at times." He flashed a smile. "Could be the only meal of the day."

"You want me to cook you breakfast?"

"God, you really did fall for a bimbo!"

Gast chuckled. "Not just for me! We do have guests, don't we?"

"I don't like yolk!" Mario called and the crew began to yell out their preferred style of bacon, egg, and toast.

"I-I've never cooked for so many people." Thor finally said, wondering if that would get him out of this. Was this a punishment? A test? A weird version of a treat? His eye was still blackened from Loki's last punishment and the brunette was still limping from Thor's.

"This is good practice then!" He turned to the younger man. "Tomorrow will be your turn, Lo Lo."

"O-okay," was all he said to that, before quickly adding, "I can help Thor, if you wan-"

"No need sweetheart," he leaned over and kissed him, ignoring the flinch he received. "Don't I have the sweetest boys!"

The crew agreed, though their enthusiasm for Thor waned when he burnt nearly all the toast. They burned the side of his torso with a heated metal spatula as a lesson. The next day, Loki was careful not to make the same mistake. His mistake was giving someone a scrambled egg with pieces of shell cooked in. They made him eat a few shells to remind him.

~2011~

"Are the eggs good?"

"Best I ever had," Mario said with no emotion.

"My turn, Sparkles. You remember how I like them?"

"Fried and over toast."

"Perfect!"

"You remember how I mine?" Topaz asked gruffly from her seat.

"Burnt and scrambled, with only two slices of bacon and one piece of toast also burnt."

She nodded mechanically.

Thor went to work silently, watching out of the corner of his eye as Loki sipped his coffee. If he ignored everything, he could pretend he was cooking just for the two of them. He could pretend they were in their own apartment and he was making breakfast for his....


	20. Chapter 20

"I still don't understand," Tony says through a bite of salad. They finally decided to bring food to these meetings. "I don't get why Gast has six different...," he snaps his fingers searching for an appropriate word choice.

"Department heads," Val suggests over her cheeseburger.

Thor made an excited noise, unable to speak through his own food. When he finally swallowed, shaking his head, he said, "Think of them as levels." He scrambled to his backpack and pulled out a large pad of paper and a pen. He flipped through the pages and found a blank one and began to make a large pyramid with six layers. "Think of it like a feudal society. You got your serfs and basic townsfolk," he used the pen to point  
to the bottom two levels. "They have a representative but Gast never knows their day to day. He knows how much money he made and spent on them. Your next two are your knights and vassals lords. Minor players but now he knows more. They get privileges, may know actually see the Grandmaster from time to time. But they still have their reps. Top two are basically your nobility and they represent themselves. There's really Game of Thrones style of backstabbing going on, but Gast loves it. He sometimes incites disagreements just to start a feud."

"That sounds chaotic and dangerous."

"That's why he has the penthouse crews. Peacekeepers and enforcers."

"Crews? There's more than one?" Bruce asked.

"He's got more than one penthouse. But they all answer to Mario." He wiped his chin. "Technically speaking, I'm part of one of the penthouse crews."

They all stared at him, unsure how to proceed with the next question. Questions about his brother since the incident with Odin were usually met with aggressive if evasive responses or the interview being shut down completely. 

Finally, Natasha asked, "Is Loki as well?"

Thor didn't blink at the question, thankfully. "Yes and no. Loki's really good at gathering intel and he can act if pressed, so Grandmaster likes to use him more for political purposes. You gotta be strong to be part of a crew, though."

"Were you forced?"

"It's not like I could really say no." Thor laughed as though it was obvious.

"Thor," Val nervously looked around at the others at the table, "you do know that when uhm Loki spoke to us, he told us you killed someone. A cop."

Again the blonde didn't seem surprised. "Okay."

"You can be charged."

"Are you going to charge me?"

Tony blew out a sigh. "Not up to me."

"Is that the only person you've...dealt with for Gast?" Natasha tried to be delicate with the question.

Thor said nothing, looking away from all of them. "What happens if you charge me?"

"Well, you'd be arrested for one. We could leverage a deal with you to testify against Gast-"

He shook his head. "Not gonna happen."

"You're going this far! Why not go all the way?!"

Thor again shook his head. "I can't do that to Loki."

"I know he's your younger brother, and we want to protect him too, but you can't do that if you-"

"He's more than my younger brother now," Thor gave their general direction a cocky if apologetic smile.

"Thor," Val reached out to his hand. She was pleased when it was yanked away. "What that bastard forces you guys to do, that can-"

"He only forced us one time. All the other times, without him present, have been us consenting to one another."

The ADAs and detectives stared at him in confusion and unease. "We know about Loki's support groups, from when he was younger. We know he had a uhm crush on you." Bruce explained.

"He wasn't the only one. But mine was more a lust. When Grandmaster forced us that first time, he showed Loki my internet history too. I tried to tell you, that one time you brought my Dad. I had all these porn sites, fuck it was disgusting. About brothers. And I would follow any person who looked just a bit like Loki. I'd had that crush since I was sixteen. Once I turned eighteen, I tried desperately to get rid of it, grow out of it. Loki was younger than me and he was actually doing a better job in that department! Those support groups...if I had known....well, Grandmaster would have just found those too."

Val didn't retract her hand nor did she recoil at his words, though she could see Natasha doing that in the seat across from her. Tony seemed nonplussed, though he had a look of sympathy. Bruce seemed about ready to punch something, but she knew it wasn't directed at Thor. Most likely it was directed at Gast or even Odin.

"Y'know, when I imagined sleeping with Loki for the first time, I thought it was something special. I thought it would be while we're on vacation or when the apartment we rented was empty of roommates. I didn't imagine....I couldn't relax enough to do it. And Gast kept saying these awful things. Loki pleaded for something to help me. I think he hoped for weed or something. But we got that. Loki had done it before, I hadn't. Fuck, it was so fucking weird..."

"You said Loki was blue," Tony said, almost to himself.

"He looked like a fae creature when I was high. Blue skin, red eyes. I thought he was so beautiful. But I was so fucking high I didn't prepare him completely....he bled. Just a little but still. Gast loved it. Loki kept saying he was fine but I never wanted to hurt him again. I never touched the stuff after that. But after the first time, we were free to do whatever we wanted with one another. We both knew now. And it's nice, to be touched by someone who....actually loves you."

"I can understand that," she said, hoping she could convey how much she felt for him. "But you have to realize, this relationship you two have, it isn't healthy."

Thor stared at her hand and didn't reply.

"You guys have been abused for ten years, I can understand wanting to feel loved. To be with someone who understands what you have been through, completely. And I'm sure you two love one another, but you both deserve to have a normal healthy relationship."

"I love him so much." Thor said quietly. "He's my everything. I call him my moonlight y'know, because even when I don't see him shine, I know he's there. And he calls me his sun..."

"That's very sweet. But after this...all this...don't you want him to move on? And you too? Imagine it, three years from now, Gast is rotting in a cell and you two with partners who can help you heal from this."

Thor's eyes were watering as he smiled. "We'll still be together. We promised. We promised one another. Until death do us part and even after that."

"Come one, kid," Tony said. "It isn't like you married him!"

Thor laughed, tears rolling down his face.

~2013~

"Same last name! That makes things easy! Very unusual with a name like that," the county clerk giggled conversationally as she typed on in their information.

"It's very common where are families are originally from," Loki explained, leaning his lead on Thor's shoulder. He was smiling broadly, the first time in a long time. A genuine smile that made him look so beautiful. But then again, to Thor he was always beautiful.

"How long is this going to take?" He asked, trying not to sound too much like they were in a hurry. When the clerk stared at him in confusion he replied,

"We already booked our honeymoon."

"Oh!" She winked. "I'm almost done. Where are you going to go?"

"Paris!" It wasn't a lie. Gast had business in Paris in two weeks and they were going to go with him.

"Smart thing you guys are saving a fortune by doing everything here and not having a huge to do! Some couples blew their entire savings once the law passed."

Thor didn't respond. He nervously fidgeted, hoping that their 'babysitters' were still circling the block wondering which building they had gone into. He wasn't sure how Gast would react to what they were doing, but he wouldn't put it past him to be angry. Or punish them. But he didn't care.

"Alright, now you sign here and you sign here," the clerk announced, passing them a pen. "And just like that, it is my honor to pronounce you two married! You may now kiss the groom!"

Loki had barely finished signing before Thor gathered him and kissed him deeply. The county clerk's office clapped and cheered! There was one old man who booed, but he was shushed.

"Have fun in Paris!" the woman called as they left. He thanked her, but his eyes were only for his husband.

"Oh my god!" The brunette said as they walked outside. "Is this a dream? Am I dreaming this?"

"No. We're...married." He felt so happy and yet so terrified. "Do you want to wear your ring?"

"Yes! Can I wear it on my left hand?" He had given Loki his ring nine months ago, but had only let him wear it on occasion or in the evenings alone in their room and only ever on his right hand. The Grandmaster got jealous and any time the ring was worn two or three days consecutively, he began to ask questions, making wild accusations about anyone and everyone in the penthouse crew. While the older brother was more than happy to watch the mobster decimate his entire crew over petty perceived 'rivals', he didn't want Loki endangered in the process.

He took out a small tin container that once contained mints from his pocket. It now carried about forty dollars and two small gold and silver bands he had stolen from one of Gast's hotel jewelry stores. He placed the smallest and most intricate on Loki's finger and kissed his new husband's forehead. "You hungry, babe?"

Loki wiped his eye as he placed the other ring on Thor's finger. "Yeah, please honey."

There was a small cafe a few blocks away. They were out of New York City and in a small rural county of the state. They had pleaded, begged, and bartered for this time away from the city. Gast, a devoted urbanite, had agreed on the condition they bring several 'escorts' and return within the week. Thor was already ready to agree to go back after they had accomplished what they came to do, but he didn't want to tell that to Loki just yet. He didn't want to dampen the mood.

Once in the small restaurant, Thor ordered them both a glass of wine, as well as a sandwich and a piece of cake to share. He only had the forty left after all, discounting the credit card he had taken from one of the thugs when they weren't looking. He had used it a few times for small things like more pencils and movies, but he knew it was going to be shut off soon. He didn't want it to be now. Loki didn't seem to care. He looked like the sandwich was the best thing he had eaten in his whole life. And when the cake came, he playfully made a comment about 'their wedding cake'. Thor beamed ear to ear.

It was round the time they were asking for a round of waters before they left that Mario and his crew found them.

"You two have a lot of fucking nerve losing us like that!" He growled as he leaned over their table. "What you two do with the two hours? You fucking squeal, you brats?!"

"We went looking at shops," Thor said simply, sipping his drink safe in the knowledge that they were in public and the older man couldn't do anything to them in public.

"You went looking at shops?" Mario looked at him skeptically.

"Our Mom used to go to small niche towns like this and spend hours going through shops." Loki explained, looking very authoritative in that moment. "We missed that. And we didn't want you breaking something or causing a scene, like you are now."

The thug glanced over his shoulder at the patrons staring at him. Unlike New York and the establishments Mario usually frequented, these people would not look away or hesitate to call the police. He turned back and glared at them, but said nothing.

"If you feel uncomfortable with what happened," Thor couldn't help but enjoy sounding like he had more power in this situation,

"Loki and I will agree to leave this evening back to New York."

Mario looked shocked at that. "You.... you serious?"

"And we won't even mention you lost us," Loki smiled mischievously at him.

He could tell the thug was having a hard time believing it. "Give me your cell."

"What?"

"Give me your cell. You won't believe us unless I do this."

Nervously, the older man fished his cell from his pocket and passed it Thor. The waitress skirted by him and dropped off the two younger men's waters before retreating, staring all the while as she did.

Thor thumbed through the contacts of the cell phone, making a passing comment about using more security on the device. He reached out to Loki's hand, who gently squeezed his showing his support and understanding. He found the number and clicked 'call'.

There were three long rings, Thor smiling like an idiot all the while. Finally, on the fourth one, the familiar voice answered,

"Yes?"

"Hi Daddy," he said brightly and sweetly into the phone. Loki looked ready to burst out into laughter or tears of satisfaction and Mario looked just dumbfounded and rooted in place.

Gast's voice immediately switched from business to his playful purr, "Hey Sparkles! What are you doing calling me, I thought you wanted a vacation?"

"I'm bored," he whined, dramatically pouting for effect. The brunette mimicked him as he nodded to the other man. "And so is Loki."

"Thought you wanted to go to enjoy some peace and quiet?"

"We did. Now we're bored. Is it okay if we come home tonight?"

"Of course, sweetheart! Of course! You come home tonight and we'll go to a nice late dinner, have a few drinks, and then I'm going to have you two on your backs and begging for my cock. How does that sound?"

"Wonderful, Daddy!"

"Pass me to Mario please."

Thor did just that grinning ear to ear after that. While Mario nervously prepared their journey home, recounting their time in the small town sans the two hours they had gone missing, the couple ordered another piece of cake and glass of wine. Today, they had beaten the odds and survived.


	21. Chapter 21

"Married?" Hela repeated the word once again. She ran her fingers through her hair and glanced at her Father. Odin simply stared at his clasped hands. "H-how? Wouldn't...wouldn't something come up about Loki being adopted and part of our family?"

"Apparently, Gast had already forged documents to 'adopt' or marry Loki in the hope of getting into his birth father's trust a year or so, but decided against it when he found out the trust was absorbed completely into the Valhalla estate," Bruce explained, his voice  
quiet and soothing. "Loki simply used those when he applied for the marriage license and certificate."

"So it's not legally binding."

"Yes and no. But that's not the issue. In both Thor and Loki's mind, they're married."

The professional woman took a deep breath and let it out shakily. "They only had each other. So this changes nothing, does it?"

"Hmmm." Strange sat a few seats down in the DA conference room. He had been brought in with the family to hear the news and to give his reaction.

"It changes nothing!" Hela snapped, insistently nostrils flaring.

"A bit, actually," the psychiatrist said,"I mean, if they weren't kidnapped, there's nothing to say they wouldn't have gotten together." Several in the room shifted uncomfortably. "It's not unheard of! It's rare for adopted siblings to start a relationship! Extremely rare! But, still, from what I can see that relationship would have been healthy. But, once they were kidnapped, this relationship became a coping mechanism. Gast treats them like toys and or pets, and to some extent he has succeeded in making them think like that of themselves. But this is them claiming ownership of one another: they choose each other. Outside of Gast. That's up to them."

"Why didn't Loki tell us when he was here?"

"From what we've been able to get from Thor, they've had to keep the relationship from everyone. They are fairly sure Gast would see this as going against him. And, well, he was probably unsure how everyone would react."

"I...," Odin tried to speak and stopped short. Everyone waited with baited breath. No one exactly knew how he was going to react and no one was sure if he was going to fly into a rage or not. He wrung his hands together and tried again, his voice cracking. "I knew about the documents. I was alerted to it as soon as the process began. I assumed...Loki hated me and simply wanted to be rid of me...I thought....," he cradled his head in hands and wept.

"You knew?" Tony looked at the older man in shock and mounting frustration.

"That's why I assumed my PIs were accurate. I've...I've never been a good Father." He glanced at Hela who looked back at him sympathetically but didn't deny his statement. "I put my name first, my expectations first. Frigga and I would fight about it all the time. I always used to say, 'if they don't like it they can speak for themselves'. Well, Loki did and I never listened. Thor always just went along with things. Always, 'yes sir' and 'I will do better than that'. I thought Loki just had enough of being my son...."

"He hasn't. He still loves you," Val said.

Odin sniffed loudly, tears rolling down his cheek. "Even after all this?! Even after I-"

"You're his Father. And if I think he knows better than anyone what it is like to be manipulated by Gast."

"I want...I want to speak to Thor again. I...if the marriage continues after...after they are free...I want him to know he was my blessing."

Everyone was taken aback but made no comment. Progress had to be encouraged.

~~~~

"On your left," Loki said pointing at the enemy on the large television screen. Thor turned his avatar and shot the character as it shambled forward. The two were in the living room of the penthouse and purposefully ignoring the meeting happening behind them in the bar area. They were dressed in their 'sugarbaby best' as Grandmaster was fond of saying. Thor in running shorts that were little too tight with a tank top on. Loki wore jean shorts that were practically underwear and a white crop top that showed more than it covered.

The game was at a decent volume, enough so not to outright disturb the meeting but enough that it couldn't escape anyone's notice. Thor had to admit this was one of the more satisfying things about Gast's 'boy': playing a game and making others feel like they were the ones imposing. Before, even back at the dorms, any time there was company games were usually regulated to mute or were to be played at another time. Here, if he really wanted to, he could crank the volume up to near blasting and just keep playing. Gast would only chuckle and shrug and make some half-hearted excuse. Today, he was going to do it however.

"So we're agreed," the Grandmaster was saying, not even making an effort to be heard over the sounds of the game, "you will stay out of Marjorie's territory."

"Don't want to even hear about your crew buying a cigarette in my territory!" a graying older woman said loudly, all her jewelry jangling as she spoke.

"And you stay out of Philip's."

"Same, you fucking fossil!" growled out a gruff looking man blowing a puff of cigar smoke in the woman's face. She didn't even blink.

"Hey now! No fighting! We just had the carpets cleaned!" Gast said, now bored with the whole affair.

"Bottom right," Loki said pointing.

Thor's character swiveled and shot the mutant as another latched onto his back. "The hell!?! You didn't see that one!"

"Neither did you!" the younger shot back as the avatar flailed on screen.

There was a brief moment of struggle before control was taken from Thor and a flashing screen announced 'game over'. He glared at Loki as the screen kicked him to the loading screen. "Two hours of progress."

"You didn't see him either. Besides, it's just a side quest."

"To get the best weapon in the game and to unlock the best character."

"You should be able to play it yourself."

"I should have a brother who actually helps me."

Loki looked ready to retort when a hand came between their faces. "Uh boys? The no fighting comment went for you two as well."

"Sorry, Grandmaster," they chirped, in perfect sync and pitch. They each leaned over and kissed the hand, Loki the palm and Thor the knuckle as a way of apology.

"You two! Such flirts when we have company!" He laughed as though this wasn't what they were trained to do. Like Loki isn't supposed to give small kitten like licks and Thor isn't supposed to immediately make a trail of kisses to his fingers before he starts to suck. It really does become muscle memory, even the lustful look and the moan as he closes his eyes. It's just autopilot.

"Daddy, pwease?" The brunette whined, snaking his way to Grandmaster's chest. In his mind's eye, he could see the pout complete with quivered lip and big large puppy eyes. He could see the thin arms snake around that long neck. See pale fingers run through that well coiffed white hair. He hummed around the fingers, his tongue massaging the pads. He didn't even have to open his eyes to know that they were being watched  
with approval.

"How about you two go wait in the room?"

They made their way to the bedroom slowly so they could be admired: Loki swayed his hips with each step and Thor stretching ao his shirt rode up and showed his midriff. Once they entered the bedroom, however, the act temporarily dropped.

"Seriously, I told you to watch for-"

"I didn't see it! I was too busy staring at the one at the bottom! It looked like one of the poisonous ones!"

He sighed, and sat on the bed. "Do you know if he actually wants to or..."

"He wants to, but he looked like he wanted to finish that out there," Loki moved to the bedside cabinet and pulled out some lube and massage oil. He also pulled out a small vape pen and handed it to Thor. "Do you need it?"

"No, and neither do you. Come here," he pulled Loki close and kissed his collarbone tenderly ghosting his fingers over the exposed pale torso. "My husband."

The words relaxed the younger man, letting himself be laid down on the bed and kissed breathlessly. "H-he may want you."

"Then he'll have me," Thor said simply, shrugging off the tank top and moving to remove Loki's shorts. "Everything is going to be okay."

Thor had placed the first bugging device for the police and the ADA in the frameword under the table in the bar area. He hoped the game hadn't been too loud, but he was more concerned about it being found than it is working. He was in charge of instructing the hotel staff how to clean the penthouse, so he could lay the blame on one of them, but he didn't want to. He kissed Loki once more, his mind a yards away in the living room where the little black microphone perfectly blended into the dark underside of the bar.


	22. Chapter 22

THE FOLLOWING ARE TRANSCRIPTS FROM CASE 9843 AND BELONG TO THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY OFFICE AND NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT. MOST HAVE BEEN VERIFIED BY A WITNESS IN THE RECORDINGS.

09/2019

Mario Gillis: I picked up the package from Dominic. He's having trouble moving the shipment.

(Shipment refers to a truck full of weapons stolen. Package is money from the last sale of weapons.)

En Dwi Gast: I want that truck out of the docks in forty eight hours. The longer it's there, the longer I see no profits. Or does Dominic not care about that?

M. Gillis: He cares boss, or I'll make him care.

Gast: See that you do. I really don't want to make Brenda a widow. She's like family to me.

09/2019

Topaz Michaels: I want to go over the profits for the Starlight.

Gast: All good I hope?

T. Michaels: Could be better. Doesn't help we've had a gaming commissioner in the place since your arrest.

Gast: And we haven't turned him!

T. Michaels: Not completely. You haven't given me the greenlight on that.

Gast: Turn him! Or dig something up on him. Seriously, I shouldn't have to say anything!

09/2019

Loki Valhalla: I hate cooking with fish.

Thor Valhalla: You could just suck his dick and we could go out.

L. Valhalla: You do it. Fuck, this smells awful!

T. Valhalla: Are you supposed to leave the skin on?

L. Valhalla: I think so?

T. Valhalla: Lovin' the confidence.

L. Valhalla: You wanna try?!

T. Valhalla: Not my turn.

L. Valhalla: Bastard.

T. Valhalla: You love me though.

09/2019

L. Valhalla: I want to dye my hair.

T. Valhalla: What color?

L. Valhalla: Red or blonde

T. Valhalla: Why?

L. Valhalla: I think I would look good-

Gast: Hello boys!

Valhalla: Hello Grandmaster.

L. Valhalla: Grandmaster, I want to dye my hair.

Gast: I see.

L. Valhalla: Red or blonde. Personally, I prefer red but-

Gast: Nope. Not going to happen. Dated a redhead once. Horrible.

L. Valhalla: Well, can I go blon-

Gast: I already have one blonde bimbo. I don't need another.

T. Valhalla: Thanks.

L. Valhalla: What if I dye it-

Gast: If your hair is anything other than black, I'm shaving it all off and you can choose your favorite wig. Understand?

L. Valhalla: Yes, Grandmaster.

Gast: Now Lo Lo don't give me that sad look. Come over here and sit on my lap.

09/2019

*phone ringing*

Gast: Fuck, they better be ready with that fucking batch. Did I tell you to stop, Sparkles?

(Batch refers to class A narcotic substance. Witness is unclear which substance, but thinks it's a variation of meth.)

Gast: Yes? It is ready? I gave you time already, didn't I? Now I'm loosing my patience. There's no need for that type of language, especially since I can snap my fingers and you could just be a puddle. If I were you, I'd tell your crew to have it done by nine tonight or try to get out of town before I send Mario and Topaz over there to sort this out. Understand?

*Sound of gasping*

Gast: Sorry, Sparkles. You know how I get when I'm frustrated. But I'm nearly there.

10/2019

M. Gillis: Where's the other brat?

L. Valhalla: Gym.

M. Gillis: He too fucking good for the gym downstairs or workout on the equipment he has?

L. Valhalla: He likes that gym. And it's that place with the restaurant. The one with the green beans.

M. Gillis: Fucking posh brat. Need him to help unload shit. You're next to useless.

L. Valhalla: I'm not. I can bench press up to-

M. Gillis: Shut up and go suck a dick. It's all your good for.

10/2019

T. Valhalla: I'm thinking of designing a new tattoo for us.

L. Valhalla: We don't have a lot saved up under the mattress! And I want to buy decent winter clothes this year.

T. Valhalla: Oh, I'm not saying we get it now. But like maybe next year? Like maybe around this time.

L. Valhalla: Okay. I guess I can start saving now. But seriously if your phone breaks again and he won't pay for it, I am going to remind you of this conversation when I say no too! What were you thinking about, anyway?

T. Valhalla: Two birds in flight. Songbirds probably.

L. Valhalla: That sounds...so cliche.

T. Valhalla: Well fuck you too then! I had an idea.

L. Valhalla: It sounds super cute too, but oh sweet Jesus does it sounds corny.

T. Valhalla: You had me design a butterfly once!

L. Valhalla: Yeah, I was twenty two and high I think!

T. Valhalla: Possibly.

L. Valhalla: Wasn't that the time I was completely convinced I was going to turn into one?

T. Valhalla: When you wrapped yourself in the curtains before anyone could stop you and you nearly banged your head on the coffee table. Oh, that was fun.

L. Valhalla: What made you think of songbirds?

T. Valhalla: It's a surprise.

AFTER THIS THE TRANSCRIPT IS UNVERIFIED BY THE WITNESS. NAMES ARE INFERRED FROM PREVIOUS TESTIMONY. NEW PEOPLE ARE INDICATED BY LETTER.

X: Mr. Gillis? I am very sorry, when I was cleaning the bar area, I think I may have broken it again.

M. Gillis: The hell you mean, broke it? And again?

X: I am so sorry, but something is hanging and I do not know how to put it back! Usually Mr. Thor does it for me.

M. Gillis: Let me see! Let me show you how a real man fixes something so it don...that...that's the thing that broke?

X: Yes, Mr. Thor usually puts it back for me. He says it helps keep the frame steady.

M. Gillis: Uh huh. Interesting.

X: Please do not tell Mr. Gast!

10/2019

Gast: You're back! Had fun?

Valhalla: Yes, Grandmaster.

Gast: See anything interesting at the museum, Lo Lo?

L. Valhalla: Yes, um, is there a party tonight? Should we change?

Gast: I dunno. Would you like to tell him, Thor?

T. Valhalla: (inaudible)

Gast: Got to speak up for the microphone.

L. Valhalla: Thor...(inaudible) you! (inaudible) He (inaudible) good (inaudible) never!

Gast: Look at how much you distressed my Lo Lo!

T. Valhalla: He's not yours. Neither am I.

Gast: Not anymore, at least. How long has this been here? How much has it recorded? I know the game, it needs to be uhm verified. How much did you verify?

T. Valhalla: Enough.

Gast: Mario.

*There is a smacking noise and a scream.*

Gast: Ten years. God, you were nearly perfect too. I'm going to miss you. No, I take that back. I'm going to miss your eyes. Those really were one of your best features. I suppose I could keep one...

L. Valhalla: (inaudible) (sound of a struggle)

Gast: Jesus, will you shut up, I'm not (inaudible)

(Various voices yelling and shouting. Crashing noises, possibly a table.)

T. Valhalla: (inaudible)-master! Grandmaster! Gast! Let me calm him down! You and I both know he's not going to calm down without me! Let me do that! Then...I'll go.

Gast: Fine. I enjoy when you two performed. Go comfort your husband. Oh? Didn't think I knew that, did you. Well, I did. Within hours of you two doing it. Chop chop, or I do it right here in front of him!

T. Valhalla: Loki, come here.

L. Valhalla: (inaudible)

T. Valhalla: I had to..shhhh it's going to be okay. Shhhh it's going to be okay. Look at me. Please. I need to...

L. Valhalla: I can't (inaudible)

T. Valhalla: Of course you can! You have to! Please! For me! Live for me! Be good, for me. I love you.

L. Valhalla: I love (inaudible)

Gast: Wrap it up.

T. Valhalla: Loki, go with Mario. It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. Be good. It's going to be okay. That's it. Shhhhh. It's alright.

M. Gillis: Stop fucking struggling!

Gast: Take him to my room. If he tries to leave, break his leg. Topaz, if you would do the honors.

T. Michaels: With pleas-

END TRANSCRIPTS


	23. Chapter 23

They dragged him out of the bedroom when it was announced on the news the next morning. He knelt in front of the large flat screen, amongst the games controllers that had been his brother's solace, and watched as the newscaster said in a sympathetic but efficient manner, "Thor Valhalla was found this morning in critical condition after what appears to be an assault. He was rushed to a hospital but pronounced dead on arrival. He was thirty two."

"The Brat is dead! Long live the Brat!" Mario crowed, and the crew laughed.

Gast used one finger to lift Loki's face to his. "You always have your exit strategy, sweetheart. Remember?" He said it almost kindly.

"M-may I go back to the bedroom?"

Back away from the crew and stares, Loki bent over the toilet and threw up in peace. He sobbed into the tile floor, aware that no one this time would come in and stroke his hair or hold him or sing some stupid song from their childhood. It was just him now.

The next day, they dragged him out again. This time because he had to cook breakfast. Life goes on.

Gast began making the rounds on the radio shows, calling in to dramatically cry about the death of one of his lost soulmates. He kept Loki in his lap, hugging him close like a stuffed animal. Occasionally the host would ask after the brunette. Grandmaster's eyes would flick up to his, and he would politely look away. "In no fit state to talk to anyone, sadly."

Naturally, that really wasn't the case. Around three o'clock, Loki found a phone being shoved in his face as he laid on the bed.

"Call the hospital. Tell them you want the body. You can do that, you're family." There was an emphasis on 'family' that made his skin crawl, but he took the phone and did as he was told. Thor had told him to be good.

The hospital, unfortunately, was making it difficult. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Valhalla, but Mr. Thor Valhalla's body was released to your Father already. You will have to speak to him and your sister. I am so sorry for your loss."

"I-I am his...," he could barely say the words. He'd wanted to scream them for the last six to seven years, and now he barely had the energy to form a syllable.

"I'm so sorry."

When he hung up and explained the situation, the slap to the face was almost welcome. "Call your sister! I want his body!"

Thor would have cheekily asked why he hadn't kept it. He would have couched it as a light-hearted question. Loki simply dialled from memory Hela's number and said nothing.

"I want Thor's body," he said with preamble once she answered the phone.

"Oh, Loki! I-"

"Please, Hela. I want to bury him. We-" he glanced at Gast who looked back at him expectantly, "we want to bury him."

"After he-"

"He's my husband, Hela...we got married. Did you know that? I'm legally allowed to have a say over what happens to his...remains."

"I know, Loki. He told us."

Loki took a shakey breath, the painful reminder of why Thor wasn't there twisting in gut like a knife. "Hela, don't make me fight you in court. Don't make him fight you. Please, right now..."

"Daddy wants to bury Thor too." It was said quickly, cutting him off.

"Near Mom?" he couldn't help the hope that entered his voice.

"N-no. Um...he's having Thor cremated and buried in another plot." There was a quick and muffled dialogue on the other end of the phone before she came back. "I suppose we could um...share....him. Split the ashes."

Loki felt like vomiting again. "Split the ashes?" He glanced at the Grandmaster who shrugged and nodded his assent. "O-okay."

They arranged when he would come to pick up the ashes. Hela tried to invite him to their private funeral service, but he hung up on her instead. He had to be good. He had to survive. Grandmaster kissed his forehead and tucked him into bed for that.

That's when he brought 'the trophy' out. Loki nearly screamed and fled the bedroom, but he forced himself to remain where he was. The older man placed the glass container of strange viscous liquid on the bedside counter. The blue iris of Thor's eye looked unreal and otherworldly, the veins and disconnected tissue floating out like tentacles or rays of lightning. Loki looked at it in morbid fascination.

"I said, it was his best feature," Gast said simply, running a finger down the side of the glass.

"Yes."

"Well one of his best features. But you can't persevere an ass."

"That's why you called him Sparkles. Because of his eyes."

"It's not like he shot lightning or something."

"May I keep his things? At least his drawings?"

"I guess. But keep them somewhere neat. I don't want them everywhere," he reached over and laid out three more items: a needle, a small bag of blue crystals, and a lighter. He left, without another word as Loki took them.

~2020~

He honestly couldn't remember clearly the last few months. He remembered the funeral. Gast had made an emotional fifteen minute eulogy before bringing him to the front of the packed church to speak. He stood at the lectern, stuttering out something unintelligible before breaking down into sobs at the sight of the blown up picture of Thor. He had been gathered into the Grandmaster's embrace, though they didn't leave the altar. The cameras and the world needed to see him.

After that, his life was a series of colors and moments of sobriety. He tried to stay away from harder stuff, keeping mostly to alcohol and weed, but Gast kept giving him the crystals when he got 'too weepy'. He now slept and lived permanently in the master bedroom. He didn't have to cook much anymore, mostly because no one trusted him around a stove. But he was good. Perfect. So they couldn't complain.

Sometimes, he could forget everything. Gast would hold him in his lap during one of the numerous meetings, and Loki would simply exist, as though he had been willed into being just to please this man. Then, he would catch sight of the bar, or maybe something would brush across his cheek and it would come all crashing back. He would hug the man closer, for there was no one else he was allowed to touch anymore, and he would be given a glass of alcohol to keep quiet.

"My poor Lo Lo. All alone now." He forgets when this was said to him exactly, but the ridiculous sweater he remembers Gast wearing made him think of Christmas. "Maybe I should get you a buddy. An itsy bitsy friend?"

He remembers the tablet being pushed into his face so he could stare at a Facebook page. The kid barely looked out of high school, standing in his board shorts and tank top, his brown hair being picked up by a breeze. He had a wide innocent smile as showed off a farmer's tan. The photo was posted by Peter Parker, with a caption 'this boi thirsty! For lemonade it's hooooott' followed by a confusing jumble of emojis.

Loki had felt his stomach twist and an emotion akin to jealousy and guilt with a twinge of nostalgia settle there. But he was good. Perfect. So he had said as brightly as possible, "He's cute!"

"I knew you would like him!" Grandmaster had cooed, as though he had picked out a puppy. He had kissed Loki so sweetly, again he almost forgot everything. Even Thor's eye was still on the bedside counter.

Loki was slightly drunk when the police finally came to arrest the Grandmaster. They had been expected, but late. To the mobster's delight he had made quite a scene. They had been at a restaurant, watching Peter, Loki still stalling the inevitable when they had come, led by Bruce Banner. He had tried to scratch the cuffs away and nearly punched Bruce's face. To the man's credit, he had been very gentle and guided him back to his seat before continuing. Gast naturally was home the next day, already gloating.

This time the DA did not push for a gag order. They seemed rather unconcerned with what the Grandmaster said or did. And he took full advantage of that fact.

"We're still mourning our Thor and they do this! After his family would not come to the funeral!"

"Awful," the interviewer said, shaking her head sympathetically. "Loki, do you have anything to add."

"Why are they doing this to us? Haven't...haven't we lost enough?" He broke down with each word. They didn't cut away as he choked and sobbed. It made for good television, he supposed.

When the DA announced they had a secret witness, there was a large meeting in the penthouse about who it was. No one suspected Loki; he rarely left the apartment anymore, and if he could get away with it he stayed mostly in the bedroom. Besides, the secret witness was apparently in protective custody. Anyone who was late or didn't attend the meeting immediately fell under suspicion and fingers were pointed even at those who showed up early. It was utter chaos. Gast loved it. Loki slipped away to the bedroom with a bottle of wine.

The day of the opening of the trial, Loki was woken up and made to put on the clothes he had worn at the funeral. They were a little too big on him now, he had lost some weight since then, but he still looked impressive. His eyes were bloodshot from all the drinking and drugs, so they gave him a pair of sunglasses.

"Can you even walk a straight line," Gast asked him mockingly. He could, but his hands shook. They gave him a flask for his pocket and a packet of cigarettes. He didn't have a wallet or cellphone anymore. He hadn't since Thor died. All the money under his  
and his husband's old mattress had been taken and redistributed to the penthouse crew, except for a hundred dollars which Loki had used for his last solo trip in the city to pick up Thor's ashes.

The courthouse was packed with the press and the public when they arrived. Gast waved good-humoredly at them as they entered. He made a big production of helping Loki to his seat, kissing and fawning over him. He let the sunglasses dip for a moment so people could see his eyes. Naturally, the press would assume it was because of tears not alcohol. Topaz settled in next to him, a more 'comforting' figure than Mario.

Stark and Romanov entered, ignoring the press as they went to their table. They spoke in low voices and passed a cell phone and a tablet back and forth between them. Loki didn't pay attention, keeping his eyes forward on Gast and trying to memorize the New York seal on the judge's bench.

"All rise!" called the bailiff. The courthouse stood as a small heavily whiskered man soon and settled himself in the high bench. "The Honorable Patel preceding."

"Sit down," the judge said, fiddling with papers on his desk as the courthouse sat. "I will hear opening statements. Mr. Stark?"

The ADA stood and spoke very succinctly. They had evidence of weapon trafficking as well as drug trafficking. They also had evidence of sexual and physical assault, and conspiracy to attempt murder. Gast, he explained rather dryly, was a danger to the city and society and had manipulated his way out of justice before. "Hopefully, he won't this time. With your help,"he concluded, thanking the jury.

Gast's lawyer stood as soon as Stark sat and began to dramatically recount the last year: the DA's first attempt to sully the Grandmaster by manipulating his lover, Loki which resulted in Loki's suicide attempt. The brunette shifted uncomfortably in his seat at being part of this, but he made no move to shield himself from view. Then, he spoke about losing Thor to thugs collecting a gambling debt. Bile rose in his throat at that, but he pushed it down. He was good. Perfect.

"And now, DA is dragging this man and his loved ones back into court not four months after burying his beloved as some sick way to get votes. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you have the poor to end this! Listen to the weakness of this case, and then find En Dwi Gast not guilty!" A few people in the gallery clapped, causing the judge to bang his gavel a few times.

"Stark, are you ready to proceed with your secret witness?"

"Already? Blowing your load a little early, aren't you?" Gast quipped. The gallery laughed. The gavel fell.

"This is not an open mic night. Please refrain from comments. Mr. Stark?"

Tony nodded, dialled a number on his phone and said a few words. A side door opened. The room gasped.

Loki didn't look at first. He was good. Perfect. But finally when Gast gasped as well, he swiveled his head robotically around. He let out a cry.

Thor stood, supporting himself on a cane and Valkyrie's arm. He had an eye patch his left eye and his hair had gotten a little longer than the Grandmaster ever let it grow. Every step he made to the witness box was slow and pained, but he barely seemed to care. His one eye found the defense side of the room and he glared with venom at the older man.

Loki's limbs moved on their own. He stood, knocking over Topaz. By the time the woman had recovered, he had walked out of the gallery. Gast was calling to him, using all the sweet nicknames he had. It made not an ounce of difference. The judge was saying something and the bailiff tried to intercept him but Val had waved him off as Stark shouted to be heard.

He was standing in front of Thor, the sun streaming over them from the high windows. Thor's expression had softened as he had gotten closer. He was crying now, reaching out to him, stroking his face tenderly like he had the last time they had seen one another. Loki took the hand before launching into his arms, nearly knocking him to the ground.

The brothers held one another for several moments, the courtroom holding their breath as they spoke in hushed and hurried voices. Finally, the younger let go, turning to Stark. He spoke in a watery voice slightly hoarse from months of crying, drinking, and disuse.

"Can I be added to the witness list, too?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have always thought about adding an epilogue, but I don't know. What do you think?


End file.
